MaineCare Seed adjustments to be made, review Q1-20 reports by January 15, 2020

The recovery of Q1-20 MaineCare Seed will occur in the January 2020 subsidy payment, and the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is asking School Administrative Units (SAUs) to review their reports by January 15, 2020 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q1-20 by January 15, 2020.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

Log into NEO using the link below

https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Dashboard

Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.

As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this module, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary. The helpdesk contact information is medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Click on the Student Data tab
Click on the Student Report tab
Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
Click view report button
Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

You may export the reports to Excel, but please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree, along with the following, to Denise.towers@maine.gov.

Identify the type of report (public or private) and the quarter in which the claims are located.
State Student ID
Service provided dates (From and To)
Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services: Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district, or extended school year services in an out of district placement, must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the MDOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

For more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed, please contact Denise.towers@maine.gov.

School-Based Services Training Survey, Due December 31.

In partnership with our colleagues at Department of Health and Human Services(DHHS), we are asking special education directors to complete a brief survey regarding MaineCare, so we can better tailor professional development for special education providers.

MaineCare will be proposing a new section of the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Section 106, School-based Services. We anticipate the rule will go into effect July 1, 2020. To help ensure successful implementation of this rule, MaineCare is offering a series of trainings to school district personnel, agencies, and any other stakeholders who would like to know more about what health-related services may be billed to MaineCare through this new section of policy.

We are asking all school-based services providers to complete a survey regarding training needs. The survey results will allow MaineCare to provide access to support and resources, and adequate training prior to implementation.

In-person trainings will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, and grouped geographically whenever possible. Because there are over 200 school districts and hundreds of stakeholders who need training, we will do our best to meet the needs of your staff. Preference will be given to current MaineCare providers. We will also provide two online, self-directed MaineCare Basics trainings, along with an updated MaineCare in Education Pre-Implementation Training Guide for Providers, which will be posted and available on the day that the new Section 106 policy is legally adopted. The online MaineCare Basics self-directed trainings will be prerequisites for individuals attending the in-person training.

Please complete the School-Based Services Training Survey by December 31, 2019. Please, only one response per agency or school administrative unit. One of the questions asks you to identify the number of staff in need of each of the training courses offered. Please refer to the Section 106 Policy Guides, Presentations, and Training document for the training descriptions on the MaineCare in Education webpage.

Please contact Trista Collins with questions.

Save the Date: Training Opportunity on Serving Highly Mobile Students (Homeless, Foster, Migrant, Military)

Join us for an interactive session on the educational provisions designed to promote the educational stability of highly mobile students. Please complete this survey to register and share with us what you would like to get out of the training. Thank you!

Intended Audience: McKinney Vento Homeless Liaisons and Foster Care Points of Contact (Please be sure your information is updated in NEO if you are the SAU contact).

Hosted by Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Support Team members, Gayle Erdheim gayle.erdheim@maine.gov and Amelia Lyons amelia.lyons@maine.gov.

Portland: March 9, 2020, at the Italian Heritage Center

Bangor: March 10, 2020, at United Technologies Center

Houlton: March 13, 2020, location TBD

Maine Continues to Align Special Education Programming with Federal Standards; No Extra Technical Assistance Required

The results of an annual review by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has yielded that Maine does not currently require any extra technical assistance from the federal government for its special education programming.

Maine’s Special Education Programing was highlighted recently for meeting federal requirements for serving the needs of children with disabilities. The newly released report is an extension of that review and further evaluates the work of Maine’s special education services and outcomes.

The annual review is based on data from the Maine Department of Education and local schools, in addition to an in-depth evaluation of state need. This is the first year that OSEP has not required that Maine receive specialized technical assistance, beyond what is offered to all states.

View the report (PDF)

The new federal status can be attributed to much of the work that has been underway for the past few years by education professionals around the state, including special education directors, teachers, education technicians, and school and district administrators, in addition to the work of the Maine Department of Education to identify areas of growth and provide additional support in those areas. Improvement can also be credited to the specialized technical assistance that has been provided by OSEP in previous years.

The Maine Department of Education would like to thank all of the education professionals in Maine, especially those who work in special education and have spent pain-staking amounts of time on the necessary paperwork, reports, meetings, and plans that help our state not only to meet these stringent requirements, but also for taking on the ever changing and important work of serving the special needs of children with disabilities. Your hard work and determination is vital to our education system and to our state.

Hampden Academy Recognized for their Dedication to Creating a Climate of Inclusion

Submitted by Cindy Carlisle, Student Data Specialist for Regional School Unit 22.

Hampden Academy in RSU 22 was named on ESPN Honor Roll for 2019 — a list of top 34 schools from across the country — as part of its Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools National Recognition Program.

A “Unified Champion School” is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence developed by a panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.

The aim of Unified Champion Schools is to incorporate Special Olympics sports, leadership and related activities that empower the youth to be the agents of change in their communities. shifting the focus from the events to that of a whole school movement for inclusion. Special education and general education students — along with educators and administrators — are encouraged to work together to create supportive classrooms, schoolwide activities and opportunities for growth and success for all.

See the full list here

PRIORITY NOTICE: Mandatory Annual Notification of Eligibility for Schoolwide Programs

Updated annual notification of eligibility for schoolwide programs

Schools that receive federal Title I funds, have poverty rates of at least 40 percent and have approved Title IA Schoolwide Plans are eligible to use their Title I funds – and funds from other sources – to develop “schoolwide programs.”

Schoolwide programs are comprehensive reform strategies, aimed at raising the achievement levels of all students.

To facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities in schoolwide programs, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the federal regulations at 34 CFR §300.206(a) allow school administrative units to use a portion of the funds they receive under Part B of IDEA for any fiscal year to fund such schoolwide programs.

SAUs can use those funds, as long as students with disabilities receive the services to which they are entitled under their Individualized Education Programs and that are guaranteed under IDEA.

The amount of Part B funds a school expends for schoolwide programs cannot exceed the amount the SAU has received for that fiscal year, divided by the number of children with disabilities in that unit, multiplied by the number of children with disabilities participating in the schoolwide program.

For more information, contact Maine DOE’s Title I Coordinator Monique Sullivan at monique.sullivan@maine.gov, or Acting Director of Special Services Jan Breton at janice.breton@maine.gov.

Maine Care Billing, What We Know

A number of schools have contacted us to ask for an update on the requirement that IEPs list Maine Care paid, medically necessary services for children with disabilities. Because the requirements for billing for Maine Care exceed what is required and typically included on the IEP, we will need to work with DHHS to find a mutually acceptable solution. Please see our website (bottom right of page- recently changed forms) for our updated IEP form. We are in contact with DHHS and the Maine Care School Liaison to assist in providing details to our colleagues in the field. At this time, we do not anticipate any further clarification or decisions until October, when we will be pursuing a discussion with federal contacts at the annual National Alliance for Medicaid and Education conference. We are advocating for a simplification of the process and documentation, and a narrowing of requirements.

We will keep you informed as we pursue information and answers, appreciate your patience, and welcome your feedback. For more information, please contact Jan Breton at janice.breton@maine.gov.

Reminder Regarding Conditionally Certified Special Education Teachers

As districts are finishing their hiring for the year, please remember that new, conditionally certified special education teachers who are beginning their first year of teaching with this status are required to contact Valerie Smith Valerie.smith@maine.edu (207) 581-2419 to participate in Maine’s Alternative Certification and Mentoring Program. MACM offers intensive, structured mentoring and coursework for new conditionally certified special educators. The program helps these teachers to work toward their professional certification and to become fully certified special educators. For more information on MACM please visit https://umaine.edu/edhd/research-outreach/macm/

Special Education Forms Update

Based on the periodic review and feedback from a stakeholder group of practitioners in the field, The Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services, has revised only a few required forms for special education. Specifically, the IEP form, the adverse effect form, and the optional referral form have been revised; all vendors have been notified of these changes. A complete list of all forms is available on our website. All changes on the revised forms go into effect August 1, 2019.

Below are the detailed changes to the IEP form:
1. - Section 1: the effective date of the IEP has been changed to duration of the IEP, allowing for range (beginning and ending dates)
  - Section 2: in the disability box, multiple disabilities used to require a list of concomitant disabilities. The revised version requires that all concomitant disabilities be checked.
  - Section 3: the considerations section no longer requires a statement as to where the issue is addressed in the IEP.
  - Section 3: question B – the two questions that were listed under question B are now combined into one question, still in the same location.
  - Section 3: question D now has an option of N/A
  - Section 3: question J – same as question B
  - Section 4: changes in the arrangement of previously required information.
  - Section 4: strengths and needs and effect on child’s involvement have been placed in a new block and are no longer in the goals section
  - Section 5: now includes only present level measurable goal, objectives and progress; the CDS (3-5) section was eliminated; all CDS goals go in the Measurable Functional Goals section.
  - Section 6B: Alternate Assessment: now has an option of N/A
  - Section 9: the post-secondary transition plan has not been changed but looks different on the form because of the change from landscape to portrait orientation.

2. The adverse effect form was revised to add demographic information; this is now a stand-alone form. In addition, the reason for use of the form was updated to identify initial or continuing eligibility/dismissal. The remainder of the form is unchanged.

3. The optional referral form was revised to include more options for Tier 1 interventions, and blocks were added to provide additional Tier 1 interventions in the areas of Speech/Language, Modifying Time Demands, Modifying Assignments and Tests, and Maintaining Focus and Appropriate Behaviors.

The updated Procedural Manual will be posted on the Office of Special Services website by September 1, 2019.

For more information or assistance, please contact Roberta Lucas, Federal Programs Coordinator at 624-6621 or Roberta.lucas@maine.gov

Maine Reaches Federal Milestone in Special Education

Maine is proud to be one of 20 other states in the nation to meet federal requirements for serving the needs of children with disabilities. This rigorous effort was led by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are required to report each year to the US Department of Education regarding their progress in meeting “measurable and rigorous targets” to serve students with disabilities. This determination is based on how well schools address the needs of children with disabilities. As part of the review process, Maine and other states were evaluated based on several factors, including student performance and fulfilling IDEA’s procedural requirements.

Members of the Special Services Team at the DOE have been hard at work to partner with and support schools to ensure the quality of education for disabled students in Maine continues to improve. Their strategy has been to identify areas where the state has struggled and use targeted professional development and collaboration with district administrators and teachers to improve those areas. Child Development Services has also been utilized to enhance support for children with disabilities from birth to the age of five. As part of a broader Department-wide effort, this strategy has helped to further emphasize student support and achievement.

One, among many other, contributing factors for the 2019 review, was the increased amount of Maine students with disabilities who participated in standardized testing compared to the previous year. The state receives full points from the federal government if at least 90% of students with disabilities participate in standardized testing.

“We’ve been working really hard to make sure the Department is providing the support needed to help schools improve their practices with children with disabilities,” said Jan Breton, Acting Director of the Office of Special Services. “It takes a strong team of people, both here at the Department and in the field, to make sure that our State is meeting these requirements,” she added.

The commitment and collaboration of students, families, educators, and the Maine DOE has enabled Maine to meet requirements by several percentage points. Additionally, the support and guidance that enables students with disabilities to make smooth transitions from secondary school to post-graduation living has also improved, and the dropout rate for students with disabilities has decreased. With more Maine students receiving their diplomas, these young people can expect improved employability and a wider spread of higher education options after high school.

This milestone gives the Department the opportunity to refocus efforts on collaborative and student-focused growth, as well as areas in which Maine has not yet scored full points as part of the requirements. One example is around the team’s efforts to improve the state’s federal ratings for math scores through the Math4ME program. This program is grounded in hands-on activities and interactive professional learning experiences that allow participants to gain a deeper understanding of core concepts of mathematics and strategies. The program focuses on students with disabilities in grades 3-8.

Maine’s special education professionals are passionate and dedicated in their daily work to improve the lives and outcomes of children with disabilities. With our strong team of professionals here at the Maine DOE and our valuable partnerships with educators, administrators, families, and stakeholders statewide, we hope to continue our important work toward ongoing growth, improvement, and alignment in special education in our state.