On April 6, 2016 the Maine Department of Education received a letter from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education which reflected the impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B application. ESSA reactivated an IDEA statutory provision which requires that special education teachers be fully certified. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is requiring that Maine amend the Chapter 115 regulations by June 30, 2017 to come into compliance with the reactivated IDEA statutory provision. As Department staff began to address the OSEP concerns it became evident that there were components of Chapter 115 that need to be revised for all educators. The State Board of Education voted unanimously at its Oct. 12 meeting to initiate the joint rulemaking process with the Department.
Category: Special Education
State agency client students in crisis placements
The Maine DOE previously (1/22/14) issued guidance with respect to students in crisis placements. That guidance applies as well to students who are hospitalized as a result of a mental health crisis, i.e., those students remain enrolled in their home SAUs, which SAUs remain responsible for providing educational services to them. In the case of a state agency client student in crisis who is expected to return to the same placement after stabilization, the SAU where the placement is located will continue to have educational responsibility. Where, however, the state agency client student (who is not also a state ward) is not expected to return to the same placement, typically because that facility has discharged the student, then the educational responsibility reverts to the SAU of the student’s parents’ residence. The student will remain a state agency client providing that the intention is to place the student outside the home after stabilization; should the intention become to return the student to the parents’ home after stabilization, the student would lose state agency client status and should be enrolled in the home SAU. For state wards, the SAU where the student resided prior to going into crisis remains educationally responsible until such time as the student is placed in another SAU.
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Maine identifies the 1% alternate assessment population
Many districts have identified their students participating in alternate assessments in Infinite Campus State Edition, ahead of the October 6 deadline. The Department populated spreadsheets from each district report last year so an update is all that is needed. If the district’s identified population remains the same, there is no need to contact the Department.
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Seventh annual PBIS conference to be held November 4
This year’s topic for the seventh annual PBIS conference, hosted by USM, is “Building and Sustaining Multi-Tiered Systems of Behavioral Support.”
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Professional development opportunity for education technicians working with students with challenging behaviors
Please note the original location of the Oct. 25 training has changed and will now be held in Brewer. As of Oct. 5, the Oct. 24 session remains open; all slots have been filled for Oct. 25.
The Maine DOE’s Special Services division will provide a free, professional development opportunity for education technicians working within special education. For convenience, the one-day training will occur in two separate locations in October.
Notice regarding upcoming special education reports EF-S-05 Part I and II
EF-S-05 Part I, Special Education Child Count: School administrative units are advised to verify the “Special Education Students for Federal Count” report in Infinite Campus State Edition (ICSE) and ensure that all student records in ICSE are updated by October 15, 2016. The “Special Education Students for Federal Count” report will refresh automatically between Oct. 1 and the end of the business day on Oct. 15. If changes to any student enrollments are made after Oct. 15, a manual refresh of this report must be requested by calling the MEDMS Help Desk at 624-6896. The “Special Education Federal Count Certification” can be submitted to the Department from Oct. 16 through Oct. 31. Detailed instructions for completing the EF-S-05 Part I can be found here.
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Addition made to MUSER FAQs on diagnostic placements
The Maine DOE has made an addition to the Maine Unified Special Education Regulations frequently asked questions concerning the placement into special education settings, as a general education intervention, of students not identified as eligible for special education.
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Maine DOE announces alternate assessment workshops
The Maine DOE is sponsoring a series of four workshops for the MEA Alternate Mathematics and ELA/Literacy (MSAA) and the MEA Alternate Science (PAAP) assessments.
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OSERS issues “Dear Colleague Letter” regarding positive behavior interventions and supports
On August 1, 2016, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) issued a “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL) on the requirement that schools provide positive behavioral supports to students with disabilities when needed.
Maine DOE has ended all open placement notifications (EF-S-01 forms) as of June 30
To ensure data quality Maine DOE has ended all open placement notifications (EF-S-01 forms) in the NEO data system as of June 30, 2016 and will continue to end notifications annually.
