Prekindergarten Contacts' Meeting
February 3, 2015
Bureau Update
Review of recent changes
•New opportunities for students with disabilities
•Changes to graduation requirements
•Repeal of special diploma
•Expansion of 18-22 year old programs
•Our focus on equity and access
•Data driven decision making related to our monitoringand targeted technical assistance
Review of recent changes
•Legislation expanding parent rights & involvement
•Meeting participation of individual of choice
•Provision of information on funding
•Consent for ESE center school placement andparticipation in Florida Alternate Assessment
•Parent approval of changes to postsecondary transitiongoals, graduation options and waiver of the results ofstate standardized assessment
•Ability of parent to seek independent review incircumstances noted above
•New choice option – Personal Learning Scholarships
Parent Involvement and EnhancingCommunication
•It is a priority of our bureau as well!
•Instituted every other month calls with advocates,Disability Rights and federally funded parentcenters
•Bureau commitment to Facilitated IEP training
•3-day professional development
•Upcoming train-the-trainer opportunity for districts
•Annual parent survey
•How are you using this information to enhance yourservices to families?
General Education Intervention Procedures,Evaluation, Determination of Eligibility …
Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C.
Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C
•Rule background
•Amended twice during 2014 – March and November
•2014 legislation related to repeal of special diplomarequired that consent form for FAA administration bechanged
•Language stating that participation in FAA would result in aspecial diploma modified and specifically references populationentering grade 9 before 2014-2015
•Additional areas addressed unrelated to legislation -timelines for requesting parental consent for evaluationand completing evaluations revised
Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C
•Districts must seek parental consent for evaluationwhen a school based team determines -
•That a K-12 student’s RtI data indicates that the studentis responding to intensive interventions but the level ofintensity & resources to sustain growth exceeds thatavailable through general education OR
•That a K-12 student’s RtI data indicates that the studentis not making adequate growth given effective coreinstruction & intensive evidence based interventions
•In these circumstances, consent must be requestedwithin 30 calendar days of the determination,unless other timeline agreed to
Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C.
•Districts must seek parental consent for evaluationwhen
•A child age 3 to kindergarten entry age receives adevelopmental screening through the school district orthrough FDLRS and based on the results of the screeningit is suspected that the child may be a child with adisability in need of special education and relatedservices
•In these circumstances, consent to evaluate mustbe requested within 30 calendar days of thedetermination, unless other timeline agreed to
Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C.
•When a parent requests an evaluation and there isdocumentation or evidence that the K-12 studentor a child age 3 to kindergarten entry age who isenrolled in a school district operated preschoolprogram may be a student with a disability in needof special education
•School district must obtain consent within 30 calendardays unless another timeline agreed to OR
•Provide notice of refusal
Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C.
•Changes to evaluation timeline beginning 7.1.15
•Districts must ensure that evaluations are completedwithin 60 calendar days after the receipt of parentconsent for evaluation
•Days that do not “count” as a “calendar day”
•School holidays, Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks, asadopted by the school board
•Summer vacation beginning the day after the last day of schoolfor students and ending the 1st day of school for students asadopted by the school board
•For students who are absent for more that 8 school days in the60 calendar day period, the student’s absences beyond 8school days shall not count
Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C.
•Note about timelines
•New 60 calendar day timeline tocomplete evaluations begins 7.1.15;current 60 school day provision applies toconsents received on or before June 30,2015
•All other changes in the rule becameeffective December 23, 2014
What we are seeing in the SP&P
•For some districts, FDLRS is getting consent forevaluation at the end of the screening
•Use of team to review results
•Procedures to monitor or track timelines
•This section will be revisited next year
Questions to address in the TAP
•If through FDLRS child find screening process, theresults of developmental screening indicate thatthe child may be a child with a disability, who isresponsible for obtaining consent? FDLRS? SchoolDistrict?
•If a preschool child or K-12 student does not “pass”a vision or hearing screening, and it is suspectedthat the child may be a child with a disability inneed of special education, can the school districtpostpone proceeding with requesting parentalconsent for evaluation?
Questions to be addressed in the TAP
•If a parent requests an evaluation for their childwho is enrolled in a private school does the 30 daytimeline apply?
