Pre-Conference Sessions:
Monitoring and State Improvement Planning (MSIP)
Session 100 | iLinc
Changes to the Part B Indicator Measurement Table (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
This session will provide participants with a greater understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) accountability reporting mechanisms and highlight the changes to the Part B Indicator Measurement Table for the 2010 Annual Performance Report (APR) reporting.
Presenter: Ruth Ryder, Division Director, MSIP, OSEP
Facilitator: Rex Shipp, MSIP, OSEP
Session 101
Part B Measurement Table—Open Forum (Harding)
This session will provide an opportunity for participants to ask specific questions related to the Part B Indicator Measurement Table, June 1, 2009 Response Table information, or reporting requirements for the FFY 2008 APR due February 1, 2010.
Presenters: Ruth Ryder, Division Director, MSIP, OSEP; Susan Falkenhan, Education Program Specialist, MSIP, OSEP
Facilitators: Melanie Byrd, MSIP, OSEP and Hillary Tabor, MSIP, OSEP
Session 102
Verification and Focused Monitoring Visits (Wilson AB)
This session will provide an update to help States prepare for OSEP Verification and Focused Monitoring activities. OSEP and State representatives will share information about the presite and onsite processes.
Presenters: Gregg Corr, Associate Division Director, MSIP, OSEP; Al Jones, Education Program Specialist, MSIP, OSEP; Sheila Friedman, Education Program Specialist, MSIP, OSEP; Bambi L. Lockman, Bureau Chief, Exceptional Education and Student Services, Florida Department of Education; Karen Denbroeder, Senior Educational Program Director, Exceptional Education and Student Services, Florida Department of Education
Facilitators: Matthew Schneer, MSIP, OSEP and Genee Norbert, MSIP, OSEP
Session 103 | iLinc
Audit Resolution and Documentation for Resolution (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
This session will provide an overview of OSEP’s new process for the resolution of audits conducted under OMB Circular A-133 and the Compliance Supplement, including timelines and requirements for resolution. In addition, we will present the most common audit findings, the audit standards (regulations) that apply, and documentation that can be provided to resolve each type of finding. Finally, we will present available online calculators to assist with the computation of maintenance of effort, excess cost, and proportionate share. Time will be available for an open question and answer session on any fiscal topic related to IDEA.
Presenters: Deb Morrow, Special Assistant for Policy and Fiscal Matters, MSIP, OSEP; Cynthia Bryant, Audit Facilitator for Team D, MSIP, OSEP; Debra Jennings, Audit Facilitator for Team C, MSIP, OSEP; Charles Kniseley, Audit Facilitator for Team B, MSIP, OSEP; Lisa Pagano, Audit Facilitator for Team A, MSIP, OSEP
Facilitators: Jennifer Simpson, MSIP, OSEP and Robert Macgillivray, MSIP, OSEP
Session 104
Part B Measurement Table—Open Forum (Harding)
Facilitators: Lynne Fairfax, MSIP, OSEP and Danny Rice, MSIP, OSEP
Session 105 | iLinc
Verification and Focused Monitoring Visits (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
Facilitators: Kimberly Mitchell, MSIP, OSEP and Susan Kauffman, MSIP, OSEP
Session 106
Audit Resolution and Documentation for Resolution (Wilson AB)
Facilitators: Lucille Sleger, MSIP, OSEP and Christine Pilgrim, MSIP, OSEP
Session 107
State Special Education Advisory Panel: A Mechanism to Improve Services for Children and Youth with Disabilities (Hoover)
The State Special Education Advisory Panel plays a critical role in providing advice and guidance to the State regarding the State Performance Plan (SPP), APR, Levels of Determination, and all aspects of special education. This session will focus on the panel functions in regards to the SPP, APR, Levels of Determination, and OSEP Verification Visits. Participants will also receive information on new web-based resources available for panel members and SEA staff. Finally, information will be provided regarding parent leadership activities that might improve panel effectiveness.
Presenters: Barbara Buswell, Director, Region 5 Parent Technical Assistance Center; Jeanna Mullins, Program Specialist, Mid South Regional Resource Center (MSRRC); John Copenhaver, Director, Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center (MPRRC); Ken Kienas, MSIP, OSEP; Kate Moran, MSIP, OSEP
Facilitator: Marsha Goldberg, Research to Practice (RTP), OSEP
Conference Begins
Session 108 | iLinc
Convening the Conference: Leading Change in Challenging Times (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
Moderators: Renee Bradley, RTP, OSEP and Al Jones, MSIP, OSEP
Welcome from OSEP
Patricia J. Guard, Acting Director, OSEP
Welcome from Conference Partners
Mary Watson, President, National Association of State Directors of Special Education
Paula Goldberg, Executive Director of PACER Center and Co-Director of the Alliance National Parent Technical Assistance Center
Michele Rovins, Project Director, Technical Assistance Coordination Center
Session 109 | iLinc
Accelerating College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
By investing 10 billion in community college education and workforce training the Administration will help lead the world in graduation rates by 2020. This investment includes $7 billion in competitive grants through the American Graduation Initiative to, first, spur innovation at institutions, organizations, and States, and second, to motivate States to scale, systematize, and sustain reforms. The efforts will center around: (1) preparing students for employment in high-demand industry; (2) closing the enrollment and achievement gaps for underrepresented students; (3) increasing State engagement in community college reform; (4) developing freely-available high-quality online education and training courses; and (5) ensuring that education and employment outcomes are measured and shared.
Presenter: Martha Kanter, Under Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education (ED)
Session 110 | iLinc
Your Work is Making a Difference (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
Since the passage of PL 94-142 over three decades ago, the field of special education has evolved from a focus on providing access to public education to a focus on high quality outcomes for students with disabilities. In this plenary session three unique perspectives will be presented about the road we have traveled. Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 and OSEP’s State reported data will provide an evidence-based perspective on the journey. This will be followed by a description of the successes and challenges a State has faced in using the data to drive reform and how the reform is influencing these data.
Presenters: Doug Cox, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services, Virginia Department of Education; Lynn Newman, Project Director, National Longitudinal Transition Study 2, and Senior Education Researcher, SRI International; Larry Wexler, Division Director, RTP, OSEP
Session 111 | iLinc
Foundations for Success: The 2008 National Mathematics Advisory Panel Final Report and Implications for Students with Disabilities (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
According to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), there is great disparity between the results for the levels of math literacy for students with disabilities compared to the results for students without disabilities. The poor performance of students with disabilities is also being closely examined and reported by States in the results of their Statewide assessments required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Addressing this disparity in performance requires the delivery of effective, research-based instructional interventions. This plenary session will provide an overview of the recommendations made by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel in its final Report, which specifies the research-based practices that are most effective in improving the performance of all students, including those with learning disabilities and students who are experiencing difficulties in learning mathematics but are not identified as having a math learning disability.
Presenter: Pat O’Connell Johnson, Team Leader, Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program, Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), ED
Session 200
Improving Results for Students with Disabilities: How States are Using Resources from the Department of Education Comprehensive Centers and Other TA Centers (Hoover)
This session will provide an overview of the resources available from the Department of Education Comprehensive Content Centers and Regional Centers. The five Content Centers cover a spectrum of school improvement and technical assistance areas and provide indepth knowledge, expertise, and analyses to regional centers and the States served by the regional centers. The Regional Centers provide frontline assistance to States to help them implement ESEA and other related Federal school improvement programs and help increase State capacity to assist districts and schools in meeting their student achievement goals. Much of the session will focus on how New York is using the resources from the Content Centers and Regional Comprehensive Centers and the national Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network to advance their statewide improvement efforts.
Presenters: Rebecca Cort, Deputy Commissioner, New York State Education Department; Fran Walter, Education Program Specialist, OESE, ED
Facilitator: David Egnor, RTP, OSEP
Session 201
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Amendments of 2008 (Coolidge)
This session will provide an overview of FERPA, along with a brief discussion of the relationship between FERPA and the IDEA Part B Confidentiality of Information regulations. A focus of the discussion will be the reauthorization of FERPA and the Amendments of 2008.
Presenter: Paul Gammill, Director of Family Policy Compliance Office, Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII), ED
Facilitator: Alma McPherson, MSIP, OSEP
Session 202
Using Growth Models to Measure Student Progress (Harding)
This presentation will provide an overview of the use of growth models in ESEA accountability, with particular attention given to the use of growth models to count the progress of students with disabilities, including students participating in alternate assessments, when reporting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
Presenter: Susan Weigert, Education Program Specialist, RTP, OSEP
Facilitator: Susan Falkenhan, MSIP, OSEP
Session 203
Scaling Up Effective Practices (Wilson C)
This presentation will provide an overview of one State’s work in scaling up a system change initiative with the State Implementation of Scaling-up Evidence-based Practices (SISEP) Center. The goal of Illinois’ Integrated System for Student Achievement is to implement a statewide system in which evidence based practices are integrated into one cohesive system-making education more effective and more efficient. The focus at the State level is to build a statewide infrastructure that supports and sustains this integrated system.
Presenters: Barbara Simms, SISEP Coordinator, Illinois State Board of Education; Jennifer Doolittle Coffey, Education Program Specialist, RTP, OSEP
Facilitator: Carmen Sanchez, RTP, OSEP
Session 204 | iLinc
Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
Session 205 | iLinc
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
This plenary session will provide an overview of information on the implementation of the ARRA for IDEA programs such as the use of funds, data collection, reporting and the work of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General (IG).
Presenters: Ruth Ryder, Division Director, MSIP, OSEP; Larry Wexler, Division Director, RTP, OSEP
Session 206
Data Collection and Reporting under the ARRA (Wilson AB)
This session will provide participants with information related to the collecting and reporting of data for IDEA ARRA funds.
Presenters: Rebecca Walawender, Deputy Division Director, MSIP, OSEP; Genee Norbert, Education Program Specialist, MSIP, OSEP
Facilitators: Angela Tanner-Dean, MSIP, OSEP and Ginger Sheppard, MSIP, OSEP
Session 207
Innovative Uses of ARRA Funds (Wilson C)
When using ARRA funds local education agencies (LEAs) are encouraged to consider strategies and activities that are consistent with ARRA’s four reform goals: (1) increasing teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution of effective teachers; (2) adopting rigorous college and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments; (3) establishing data systems and using data for improvement; and (4) turning around the lowest-performing schools. This session will discuss suggestions for effective and efficient uses of ARRA funds that align with the reform goals. Examples will include IDEA specific expenditures and schoolwide approaches that could coordinate, consistent with program requirements, IDEA, ESEA Title I, and State and local funds.
Presenter: Larry Wexler, Division Director, RTP, OSEP
Facilitator: Jennifer Doolittle Coffey, RTP, OSEP
Session 208
Information Collection on Funds Used for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) and LEA Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Reduction (Coolidge)
This session will provide participants with information regarding the information collection form that will be used to collect data for 2009-2010 and beyond on LEAs’ use of funds for CEIS and whether LEAs have taken advantage of the ability, under certain circumstances, to reduce MOE by 50%.
Presenters: Ruth Ryder, Division Director, MSIP, OSEP; Meredith Miceli, Education Program Specialist, RTP, OSEP
Facilitator: Lucille Sleger, MSIP, OSEP
Session 209
GAO/IG: What is Being Found in State Reviews and Future Plans (Harding)
Representatives from the GAO and the IG will provide an overview of their work in States related to the ARRA. In addition, presenters will share information related to their findings and plans for future work in reviewing and supporting State’s use of ARRA funds.
Presenters: Bryon Gordon, Assistant Director, Office of Education, Workforce, and Income Security, GAO; Theresa Dollard, Auditor, IG, ED; Doral Hill, Auditor, IG, ED
Facilitator: Tina Diamond, RTP, OSEP
Session 210
Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation (Hoover)
The $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund is the largest ever Federal competitive investment in school reform. It provides competitive grants to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; implementing ambitious plans in the four education reform areas described in the ARRA; and achieving significant improvement in student outcomes.
The $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund will support efforts to bring to scale educational practices with significant evidence of success in improving student achievement and support the development, implementation, replication, and further evaluation of promising innovative practices. It provides competitive grants to LEAs and nonprofit organizations working in collaboration with one or more LEAs or a consortium of schools.
This session will provide participants the opportunity to learn about these programs, including the proposed priorities and application process.
Presenters: Jim Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII), ED; Marisa Bold, Special Assistant, Office of the Secretary–Race to the Top, ED
Facilitator: Patricia J. Guard, Acting Director, OSEP
Session 211
Data Collection and Reporting under the ARRA (Hoover)
Facilitator: Dwight Thomas, MSIP, OSEP
Session 212
Innovative Uses of ARRA Funds (Wilson C)
Facilitator: Shedeh Hajghassemali, RTP, OSEP
Session 213
Information Collection on Funds Used for CEIS and LEA MOE Reduction (Coolidge)
Facilitator: Jill Harris, MSIP, OSEP
Session 214
GAO/IG: What is Being Found in State Reviews and Future Plans (Harding)
Facilitator: Bonnie Jones, RTP, OSEP
Session 215
Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation (Wilson AB)
Facilitator: Patricia J. Guard, Acting Director, OSEP
Session 216 | iLinc
A New Direction for Early Learning and Special Education (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
This plenary session will address the Administration's agenda for early learning and how the needs of children with delays or special needs are met through the new Early Learning Challenge Fund grant. Information will be shared about this extraordinary moment for young children, the collaboration between the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, and the challenge made to States to build comprehensive, coordinated, high-quality early childhood “Zero to Five” systems.
Presenter: Jacqueline Jones, Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Early Learning, Office of the Secretary, ED
Session 217
Linking Special Education and Early Childhood Reform Efforts: Standards, Assessments and Data Initiatives (Wilson AB)
This session will highlight new State efforts to develop early learning standards and standards for program quality, child assessment and program monitoring initiatives, data on young children and early childhood programs and related program improvement and accountability mechanisms. Dialogue will focus on implications for State special education and early childhood leaders to join forces to enhance program effectiveness, credibility and outcomes.
Presenter: Tom Schultz, Early Childhood Director, Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
Facilitators: Rhonda Spence, MSIP, OSEP and Jennifer Simpson, MSIP, OSEP
Session 218
Preparing for Part C and Preschool OSEP Site Visits: Working with Partner Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) (Coolidge)
PTIs and CPRCs play a critical role, and have important information to share with States. This session will identify effective ways in which States can involve their PTIs and CPRCs to help prepare for OSEP Part C and preschool verification and monitoring visits.
Presenters: Cindy Arcenaux, Director, Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center; Art Arnold, Director, Alaska State Department of Education and Early Development; Jeanne Bowman, Technical Assistance Coordinator, Region 6 Parent Technical Assistance Center at MATRIX Parent Network and Resource Center; Sharman Davis-Barrett, Co-Director, ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center at PACER Center
Facilitator: Danny Rice, MSIP, OSEP
Session 219
Ensuring Effective Transition from Part C to Preschool (Harding)
Staff from the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) who analyzed the 2009 APR indicators on transition (C8 and B12) will share the results of the analysis and lessons learned. In addition, members of the Early Childhood Transition Priority Team will share information on guidance on early childhood timelines and late referrals. OSEP staff will participate in the discussions and respond to questions. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss how States can use the information to improve early childhood transition and how the information will assist in reporting on the 2010 APR.
Presenters: Jim Henson, Field Staff and Convener of EC Transition Priority Team, MSRRC; Kathy Whaley, Technical Assistance Specialist, NECTAC
Facilitator: Ginger Sheppard, MSIP, OSEP and Nancy Treusch, MSIP, OSEP
Session 220 | iLinc
Improving Social-Emotional Outcomes for Young Children with Disabilities (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
This session will identify effective research-based practices to improve social-emotional outcomes and address challenging behaviors for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities. Participants will learn about free products and resources for applying these effective practices that are available through the OSEP-funded Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) and the Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL), funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau.
Presenter: Barbara Smith, University of Colorado Denver, TACSEI and CSEFEL
Facilitators: Genee Norbert, MSIP, OSEP and Tammy Proctor, MSIP, OSEP
Session 221
Building An Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System: Why and How to Do It (Hoover)
There are unprecedented funding opportunities currently available for States to build longitudinal data systems that track children from early childhood through K-12 and beyond. This session will address current and emerging trends in building comprehensive interagency longitudinal data systems that begin with early childhood, including data on preschool special education services and outcomes. Funding opportunities for improving data systems will be discussed.
Presenters: Kathy Hebbeler, Project Director, The Early Childhood Outcomes Center, SRI International; Lynne Kahn, Director of TA, The Early Childhood Outcomes Center, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Facilitator: Matthew Schneer, MSIP, OSEP
Session 222 | iLinc
Linking Special Education and Early Childhood Reform Efforts: Standards, Assessments and Data Initiatives (Thurgood Marshall Ballroom)
Facilitators: Cynthia Bryant, MSIP, OSEP and Melanie Byrd, MSIP, OSEP
Session 223
Preparing for Part C and Preschool OSEP Site Visits: Working with Partner PTIs and CPRCs (Coolidge)
Facilitator: Beverly Brightly, RTP, OSEP
Session 224
Ensuring Effective Transition from Part C to Preschool (Harding)
Facilitators: David Malouf, RTP, OSEP and Nancy Treusch, MSIP, OSEP
Session 225
Improving Social-Emotional Outcomes for Young Children with Disabilities (Wilson AB)
Facilitators: Christine Pilgrim, MSIP, OSEP and Jennifer Simpson, MSIP, OSEP
Session 226
Building An Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System: Why and How to Do It (Hoover)
Facilitator: Robert MacGillivray, MSIP, OSEP
Session 300
The Higher Education Act (HEA) Amendments of 2008: Implications for Students with Disabilities (Hoover)
The HEA was reauthorized in August 2008. This Act sets Federal higher education policy for at least the next five years and is the first reauthorization in nearly a decade, covering Federal student aid and major postsecondary education initiatives in the United States. The reauthorization contains new and revised provisions that affect students with disabilities, including students with intellectual disabilities. Proposed regulations enforcing this act are soon to be open for public comment.
Presenters: Jessica Finkel, Education Program Specialist, Office of Postsecondary Education, ED; Laurel Nishi, Office of the Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), ED
Facilitator: Tom Hanley, RTP, OSEP
Session 301
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments of 2008: Implications for Schools and Families (Coolidge)
This presentation will provide background information on the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and an overview of the statutory changes made by this new law to both the ADA and to the definition of disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The presentation will focus on changes to the “substantially limits” component of the definition of disability, including the consideration of mitigating measures, as well as on “major life activities” and the “regarded as” prong of the definition of disability.
Presenter: Anne Hoogstraten, Senior Attorney, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), ED
Facilitator: Patricia Gonzalez, RTP, OSEP
Session 302
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC): Available Instructional Resources (Harding)
The WWC was established in 2002 by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education to provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence about “what works” in education. This session will provide an overview of current products and resources available from the WWC with a particular focus on a recently completed series of Practice