The Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU) of the Colorado Department of Education serves students with exceptional educational needs. This monthly e-newsletter is sent to administrators, educators and support staff throughout Colorado. To access a calendar of upcoming events, training sessions and other important dates, please follow this link.
In this email:
Recent News
What's new in deaf education supports?
Two major changes/revivals are in store to support teachers of the deaf, interpreters, audiologists, and other deaf and hard of hearing service providers.
- First, CDE is re-establishing the Deaf Education Advisory Workgroup. Two administrators are sought for this group. One from a rural area and one who is not. These administrators should have knowledge of the successes and struggles within their districts about educating students with hearing loss. The workgroup will look at providing tools and resources for districts to identify services in each administrative unit and how to make appropriate recommendations. The workgroup will also identify needs for transition and interpreter services, recruitment, and retention, and make recommendations for next steps. If you are interested in joining the workgroup, please reach out to Shauna Moden at moden_s@cde.state.co.us.
- Second, CDE will establish regional meetings/trainings for professionals who support students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The first meeting will be in the second week of September and will focus on helping teachers identify what data is needed, sources of data that are already available and how to determine when there is enough data to make appropriate recommendations. Our full day training session will be followed by two online webinars and an additional all-day meeting planned for February.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact Shauna Moden at moden_s@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6707.
2017-18 parent survey data
Raw data from the 2017-18 parent survey is available on the Data Management System under the Family-School Tab under “Parent Survey 2017-2018 Raw Data W/ Guide.” For administrative units with 10 responses or more, a data visualization is in the works. Look for the visualization with the mailing of the 2018-2019 Parent Surveys. The visualization will be included in the mailing and uploaded to the Data Management System. For more information contact Alyssa Ohleyer at ohleyer_a@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6308.
New SPED director and gifted director submission form
As the new school year approaches CDE wants to be sure that it has accurate and up-to-date information for each district and administrative unit's SPED director and gifted education director.
If you have had a change in special education director, please submit the current information at this link.
If you have had a change in gifted education director, please submit the current information at this link.
These forms also will be available on the Director's Corner webpage so changes may be submitted at any time. For questions, please contact Suzy Shotts at shotts_s@cde.state.co.us or Brittany Jimenez at jimenez_b@cde.state.co.us about the special education director or Karen Kendig at kendig_k@cde.state.co.us about the gifted education director.
Apply for a Colorado Facility Schools Board seat
The Office of Facility Schools seeks applicants for two open seats on the Facility Schools Board. The two open seats must represent a member from a school district and a person representing students who receive educational services provided by an approved facility school in Colorado. This member may be a person who, as a child, received educational services provided by an approved facility school. Or it could be a parent of a student who has received education services provided by an approved facility school.
Applications are due Wednesday, Sept. 5. For qualifications and applicant instructions, download the position posting on the Office of Facility Schools webpage. For more information, contact Judy Stirman at stirman_j@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6684.
Indicator 13 Compliance Final Report
Your administrative unit’s 2017-18 Indicator 13 Compliance Final Report letter has been uploaded to the Attachment Section of the Compliance tab in the Data Management System (DMS). This data point will be included in the 2019 Compliance Matrix and 2019 AU Determination.
2018-19 Indicator 13 Secondary Transition IEP Record Reviews: Overview and What’s New
Gloria Howell is offering an invitation to a scheduled Zoom meeting about Indicator 13 Secondary Transition IEP Record Reviews at 2 p.m., Monday, Aug. 27.
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android.
For more information, call Gloria Howell howell_g@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6106
Preschool Special Education Advisory Committee Applications
Colorado Department of Education's preschool team is seeking three new members for the Preschool Special Education Advisory Committee to replace members whose terms end at the end of this month. CDE seeks up to three people for three-year terms to fill vacant stakeholder roles and geographic areas including:
- Director of Special Education.
- Early Childhood Administrator.
- Early Childhood Council.
- Northeast.
- East Central.
- Northwest.
- Priority.
Please share this application, which is due back no later than Friday, Aug. 17 The first meeting will occur in September. For more information, contact Heidi McCaslin at mccaslin_h@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6720.
Training and Professional Development
Communication Matrix training sessions
Two, one-day, free training sessions will be offered on the Communication Matrix, a tool to determine a child's level of intentional and symbolic communication, on Thursday, Sept. 6, in Denver and Friday, Sept. 7, in Colorado Springs. Registration information will be posted shortly via the CDE ESSU special education listservs. For more information, contact Tanni Anthony at anthony_t@cde.state.co.us.
ESP technical assistance and training manual developed
A technical assistance and training manual has been developed to assist administrative units meet responsibilities surrounding the assignment of Educational Surrogate Parents (ESP) for students with disabilities. The 2018-19 EDAC-approved Assignment of an Educational Surrogate Parent form is available and includes the manual, rules, guidance memo from the state director and ESP assignment form. For more information, contact Jennifer Woods at woods_j@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6889.
Join BrainSTEPS CO
Administrative units are encouraged to form a BrainSTEPS CO brain injury consulting team to manage students with all severities of brain injuries, including concussions. For this collaborative project between CDE's ESSU and Health & Wellness units, training, materials, consultation and support will be provided at no cost to districts.
BrainSTEPS benefits everyone. Once the district team understands the brain better, it has a better understanding of the needs of all learners.
For more information or to download the application, follow this link or contact Heather Hotchkiss at hotchkiss_h@cde.state.co.us or call 303-866-6739.
Identification and assessment of Spanish-speaking children
Learn how to identify and assess Spanish-speaking children to determine typical language development or a language disorder. At this training, educators will learn:
- How to identify a language difference or language disorder.
- How to assess Spanish-speaking children.
- Assessments to use to assess Spanish–speaking children.
- Case studies of language differences and language disorders.
This training is offered to school speech-language pathologists, speech language pathology assistants, special educators, school psychologists, learning specialists, general educators and administrators.
The session is being offered Friday, Aug. 31, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., live at Anschutz Campus and at various distance sites. For more information see the flyer or contact Cindy Petersen at 303-866-6106 or petersen_c@cde.state.co.us.
OSEP Monthly Updates July 2018
Deadlines
August
- 23 SPED Discipline Snapshot is due (must have passed interchange/snapshot validations.
- 30 SPED Discipline Final Report must be reviewed, signed and submitted to CDE.
September
- 11 A complete and error-free SPED EOY Snapshot is due.
- 28 - End of the Year Expenditure Submission Deadline.
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