Leadership Meeting
4.15.13
Those Present
Cashman
Clancy
Cool
Draper
Fullbright
Guy
Hirst
Johnson
Levine
Rubel
Sherman-Proehle
Woodward
Lyons
Reece
Chicoine
Maria
Patrick
John
Mark
Polly
Barb
Beth
Megen
Charles
Pam
LauraBelle
Gwen
Stephanie
Jeff
Peggy
Agenda
Minutes from 3/19/13
Grant Wood AEA 10 - Associate Administrator
Iowa School for the Deaf/Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IESBVI) - Superintendent
Iowa School for the Deaf - Assistant Administrator
Green Hills AEA - Special Education Director
Des Moines Public Schools - Dean of Deaf Education
Iowa Department of Education - Bureau of Learner & Support Services ages 3-12
Iowa Department for the Blind - Assistant Library Director
Iowa Department for the Blind - Supervisor, Vocational Rehabilitation
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services - Administrative Consultant
IESBVI - Regional Director, Eastern Iowa
Iowa Department of Education - Bureau of Learner & Support Services , birth - 2 yrs.
IESBVI - Regional Director, Western Iowa
Advocate for deaf and hard of hearing – guest
Interpreter
Interpreter
Discussion
Decision
Gwen shared handout Current Student Data Blind and VI
Barb will confirm if this is
a 4 year graduation rate
Barb shared 3 handout:
- Reading Proficiency by Subgroup for Students in Grades 3-8, 11 2009-10 to 2011-12
- IEP Identification Rate for Students in Grades K-12, 2009-10 to 2011-12
- Graduation Rate by Subgroup, 2009-10, 2011-12
Looked at overall district graduation rates and IEP graduation rates. IEP serves to 21
and state looks at 4 years. Barb will look at 5th year graduation rates, which would
mean district is doing what they should be doing for these students.
How important is graduation rate for IEPs as a factor for regional site?
Charles shared handout Report to the Leadership Team for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
and VI. Report was compiled by Charles and Kendra. Report shows where partnership
and additional resources are strong. Committee agreed analysis was very informative.
Patrick shared handout District, Community Population, Ethnicity Data, English
Language Learner and Graduation Rate. Will need adequate size to support regional
center.
Marsha prepared and Patrick shared handouts: 35 Audiology Sound Booths and Local
School District Hired Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Looked at where LEA hired teachers are located. We have only itinerant vision teachers
in those parts of the state – no “classroom” teachers.
What does this data tell us? Does it help us narrow our decision of who can be a player
in development of regional center? Patrick would like to narrow choice for pilot
location before end of today’s meeting.
What are we valuing?
Number of districts not as informative as number of students served.
Ankeny and West Union serving the most students in their areas.
If we put pilot center in a certain area, how will that affect regional centers in the
future?
First map of circles did not include eastern border and some southern areas.
Are these areas excluded? Will we be shifting circles? Using IBS and ISD campuses
limits the structure of where the circles can be shifted.
Are we talking about using IBS as a regional center or putting the center somewhere
else and just using the resources they have? No answer yet, but we don’t want to
recreate something that is already in existence 30 miles away. (Cedar Rapids)
But, when we get to the eastern part we can’t ignore the re rest of the eastern border.
Mark stated that at UEN meeting, no one jumped up and said they wanted to have the
regional center. They didn’t want us to use a UEN site. Perception in larger centers
drive practices in rural sites.
How tied are we to one pilot center?
Motion to pursue Charles
City/Mason City area as
1st pilot center and
continue to explore West
Union/Fayette as 2nd
choice – Barb
Seconded – Mark
Passed unanimously.
Larger districts would have more resources. Critical for older kids to have access to
community colleges and work but what do we want for elementary and middle school?
What would we do that is innovative? Provide high quality education services. Better
practice would be a move forward. TVI system is better than LEA deaf teacher system
with no coordination.
Transition services for high school students are struggling. 4 plus program at ISD –
could be in other parts of the state. Easy to setup program for younger students and
harder to support transition age students. We need to connect with Voc Rehab and
community colleges.
Blind and visually impaired students are also struggling with these same issues. They
need to have equal access across the state. Blind and visually impaired look more at 4
year colleges and less toward technical training. Lots of accessability concerns with
technical training right now.
Mark said after looking at the data, he suggests a center in northern area of AEA 267.
Megen METS progam (integrated employment) (Model Employment Transition Sites)
One part employment and one part education.
That area has been low in what students are doing after graduation. B13 transition data
federally mandated. Charles City starting a TAP.
Charles City/Mason City area doesn’t serve many blind and visually impaired students.
Weak on continuum of services in blind and deaf per Patrick.
Is a place in center of state a better pilot than a rural area? Barb suggests we choose 2
pilot sites - one rural and one central.
Good rational in having 2 pilots in one year. Chance to look at similarities and
differences in urban and rural areas.
Patrick will need to take the idea of 2 pilots to Board of Regents for funding.
Looked at map with 5 circles and best layout does not include IBS campus as a regional
center.
West Union and Fayette have more students than Charles City and Mason City.
Pros and Cons Charles City/Mason City area and West Union/Fayette area
Charles City/Mason City
West Union/Fayette
PK-12 Enrollment 1592
PK-12 Enrollment 853
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Prof 28-35%
Prof 46-31%
ID 14-16%
GR 63-88%
Satellite Comm.
College
Going to have a
TAP Program
Part of Voc Rehab
program - long
term
Intense Voc Rehab
Project with
relationships
ID 11-13%
GR 83-100%
20 minutes to
Comm. College
Limited
community options
for business
placements
Next step add central part of State. Barb suggests Ankeny as an urban second site. John
wants to know rational for wanting 2 pilots. Patrick states would give us a chance to
look at similarities and differences in urban and rural areas.
Do we have finances to have 2 pilot sites? Finances will be through a partnership with
AEA and LEAs. Logical pilot would be rural, since most centers will be rural. Patrick
thinks different regional sites will look different financially depending on location.
Who is willing to contribute LEAs, AEAs, Dept. of Educ.? Will we learn enough
doing only one site? Need to refrain from calling this a pilot and call it year one of
plan for equal access across state. When we get closer to the cost of doing one pilot,
that will help us know the cost of doing 2 sites.
Patrick will look at cost
from a staff and financial
standpoint for pilot site.
Look at cost of site before deciding if we want to do a 2nd site in center of state.
Ankeny/ Johnston will be the choice as a 2nd site. Polly states Johnston has the space
and students waiting for a program. Pella does not have a strong history in working
with people with disabilities. Johnston has good partnership with Child Serve.
Motion to explore a
second first year pilot site
in Ankeny/Johnston area –
John
Seconded – Megen
Passed unanimously.
We will need a discussion with AEA and LEA contacts in Charles City. AEA 267
Maria will visit with Mary
pooled financial conversation with Mary Stevens. She may have ideas regarding staffing Stevens, AEA 267
the site.
director, and follow up
with Patrick
Proposal needs to go to the Board of Regents in September
For next meeting,
everyone think about:
Who does what?
What is LEA role?
What is AEA role?
What is Voc Rehab role?