Winter Institute for School Psychologists
– ISRD 2015
David Wheeler, Ph.D.
School Psychology Consultant
Student Support Services Project
USF/Florida Department of Education
wheeler@usf.edu
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Agenda
• Updates on Legislation & SBE Rules
• RTI-Based SLD Identification Toolkit
• School Mental Health
• Discussion & Questions
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Revised School Accountability – SB 1642
• School Grading System that emphasizes student
achievement and learning growth.
• School improvement plans must address subgroups
not demonstrating significant learning gains on
statewide assessments.
• Exemption from statewide assessments for children
with medical complexity.
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District Report Card
• Percentage of students demonstrating learning
growth
• Percentage of students in the highest and lowest
quartiles demonstrate learning growth
• Closing the gap between higher performing and
lower performing subgroups
• Success in improving student attendance
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Education – HB 7031
• Amends middle grades promotion (s. 1003.4156) &
high school graduation (s. 1003.4282) requirements
• Intensive remedial course or a content area course
that incorporates remediation strategies required
for students scoring Level 1 or Level 2.
• Deletes references to common core standards and
assessments – FCAT
• Clarifies that right of parents to be accompanied by
another adult applies to students with disabilities
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Florida Standards Assessments Portal
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Third Grade Promotion/Retention
• Third grade the only grade where there is statemandated retention.
• Students can be granted a good cause exemption
and be promoted to fourth grade under certain
circumstances.
• NEW – A student may only be retained once in the
third grade (s. 1008.25(6)(b)6, F.S.)
• Students not reading on grade level (promoted or
retained) must receive intensive intervention
• Third Grade Progression TAP and Parent Brochure
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Education – SB 850
• Repeals special diploma option for students with
disabilities
• Establishes Personal Learning Scholarship Account
(s. 1002.385, F.S.)
• Requires middle schools to implement an “early
warning system” as part of school improvement
plan
• Technical Assistance Paper DPS: 2014-136
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Bureau of School Improvement
Recommendations for EWS
• Use term “off-track” for students exhibiting one or
more indicators
• Regularly monitor number & percentage of students
“off-track” (school-wide, grade level, classroom)
• School-based teams responsible for using EWS data to
plan interventions within a MTSS
• Monitor effectiveness of supports for “off-track”
students & identify students needing intensive support
(Tier 3)
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SWD Course Requirement – SB 1108
• All educators who apply to renew a valid, Florida
professional certificate must satisfy the SWD credit.
• One (1) semester hour of college credit or 20
Florida in-service points in teaching students with
disabilities is required.
• Each school district will determine if the content of
a college course or professional learning activity
satisfies the content requirement for SWD credit.
• DPS: 2014-12
• http://www.fl-pda.org
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State Board Rules
A Resource Manual for the Development and
Evaluation of Exceptional Student Education Programs
Revised 2014
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Rule 6A-6.0331
General Education Intervention Procedures,
Evaluation, Determination of Eligibility, Reevaluation
and the Provision of ESE
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Child Find
• Districts must seek parental consent for evaluation
when school based team determines…
• K-12 student’s RtI data indicates that the student is
responding to intensive interventions but the level of
intensity & resources to sustain growth exceeds that
available through general education OR
• K-12 student’s RtI data indicates that the student is not
making adequate growth given effective core instruction
& intensive evidence based interventions
• Consent must be requested within 30 calendar
days of the determination, unless other timeline
agreed to
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Child Find (cont.)
• Districts must seek parental consent for evaluation
when
• A child age 3 to kindergarten entry age receives a
developmental screening through the school district or
through FDLRS and based on the results of the screening
it is suspected that the child may be a child with a
disability in need of special education and related
services
• Consent to evaluate must be requested within 30
calendar days of the determination, unless other
timeline agreed to
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Parent Request
• When a parent requests an evaluation and there is
documentation or evidence that the K-12 student,
or a child age 3 to kindergarten entry age who is
enrolled in a school district operated preschool
program, may be a student with a disability in need
of special education – School district must…
• Obtain consent within 30 calendar days unless another
timeline agreed to OR
• Provide written notice of refusal
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Evaluation Timeline – Effective date: 7-1-15
• Districts must ensure that evaluations are completed
within 60 calendar days after the receipt of parent consent
for evaluation
• Days that do not “count” as a “calendar day”
• School holidays, Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks, as
adopted by the school board
• Summer vacation beginning the day after the last day of
school for students and ending the 1st day of school for
students as adopted by the school board
• For students who are absent for more that 8 school days in
the 60 calendar day period, absences beyond 8 school days
shall not count
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Initial Evaluation – Notice, Consent,
Refusal
Clarification on Requirements
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District Responsibility
• Conduct a “full and individual” evaluation
that assesses all areas related to the suspected
disability (6A-6.0331(5)(f), F.A.C.).
• Provide the parent with written notice of the
evaluation procedures the district is proposing
to conduct (6A-6.0331(4)(a), F.A.C.)
• Consent should identify the broad evaluation categories
or areas of assessment.
• Identifying the suspected areas of disability as part of
evaluation planning process is congruent with the IDEA.
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Parent Consent
• Consent must be “informed”.
• Parent consents to the proposed evaluation in its
entirety.
• Team considers parent request for specific
evaluation procedures.
• If denied, document in the “description of other
options the team considered & reasons why those
options were rejected”.
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Refusal
• Only provide “Notice of Refusal” when refusing to
conduct an evaluation.
• If district is denying specific evaluation procedures
requested by the parent, document why the
requested action is not being taken on the consent
when rejecting evaluation procedures requested by
a parent.
• A “Notice of Refusal” is not necessary in the
preceding circumstance.
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Questions to be addressed in the TAP
• If through FDLRS child find screening process, the
results of developmental screening indicate that the
child may be a child with a disability, who is responsible
for obtaining consent? FDLRS? School District?
• If a preschool child or K-12 student does not “pass” a
vision or hearing screening, can the school district
postpone proceeding with requesting parental consent
for evaluation?
• If a parent requests an evaluation for their child who is
enrolled in a private school does the 30 day timeline
apply?
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Autism Spectrum Disorder - Proposed
Language for 6A-6.03023
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ASD Definition – Proposed
• A condition that reflects a wide range of symptoms and
levels of impairment, which vary in severity from one
individual to another.
• Characterized by an atypical developmental profile with
a pattern of qualitative impairments in social
interaction and social communication, and the
presence of restricted or repetitive, patterns of
behavior, interests, or activities, which occur across
settings.
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ASD Evaluation – Proposed
• Addresses core features of ASD (i.e., deficits in social
interaction, social communication, and restricted or
repetitive, patterns of behavior, interests, or activities).
• Behavioral Observations
• Psychological evaluation includes assessment of academic,
intellectual, social-emotional, and behavioral functioning
and at least one standardized instrument specific to ASD;
• Language evaluation includes assessment of the pragmatic
and social interaction components of social communication.
• Standardized assessment of adaptive behavior (NEW)
• Functional behavioral assessment (NEW) – if behavioral
concerns are present
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ASD Eligibility – Proposed
• Evidenced by ALL of the following:
• Impairment in social interaction as evidenced by
delayed, absent, or atypical ability to relate to
individuals or the environment;
• Impairment in verbal or nonverbal language skills used
for social communication;
• Restricted or repetitive, patterns of behavior, interests,
or activities.
• Core features occur across settings.
• Student needs special education.
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Identification of SLD
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http://sss.usf.edu/resources/topic/ese/ESE_Eval/Eval_instruments.html
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Exclusionary Factor
Evidence
Visual, Motor, or Hearing Disability
Sensory screenings; medical records; observation
Intellectual Disability
Classroom performance; academic skills; language
development; adaptive functioning; IQ
Emotional/Behavioral Disability
Classroom observation; student records; discipline Hx,
emotional/behavioral screenings; rating scale
Cultural factors
LOP & ROP compared to students from same ethnicity
Environmental or Economic factors
LOP & ROP compared to students from similar
economic background (free/reduced lunch); situational
factors that are student specific
Limited English Proficiency
English language proficiency (oral language; vocabulary;
verbal ability); LOP & ROP compared to ELL with similar
exposure to language and instruction
Irregular Pattern of Attendance
Attendance records; # of schools attended; tardies;
discipline; migrant status
Classroom Behavior
Classroom observations; academic engagement (AET);
ODR
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34
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School Mental Health
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Mental Health Grants for Florida
• BEESS (FDOE) was selected to receive two five-year
federal grants
• “Now is The Time” – Advancing Wellness and
Resilience in Education (Florida AWARE)
• Mental Health First Aid Training
• School Climate Transformation (Florida SCT) grant
programs.
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School Prevention & Intervention Resources
• The Youth Suicide Prevention School-based Guide
http://theguide.fmhi.usf.edu/
• More Than Sad http://morethansad.org/
• Signs of Suicide Prevention Program (SOS)
http://mentalhealthscreening.org/programs/youthprevention-programs/sos/
• A Promise for Tomorrow www.jasonfoundation.com
• After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools
http://www.sprc.org/bpr/section-III/after-suicidetoolkit-schools
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Discussion, Questions, Resources
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Questions – School Mental Health
• Social Emotional curricula for primary grades.
http://www.casel.org/guide
• Home Services- for psychiatric, medical stabilization and
behavioral issues/discipline issues at schoolreason/documentation/services to be provided/duration
• Comprehensive list of services provided for students with
vision impairments or dual-sensory impairments? Also are
the services available only to students at certain ages or
grade levels?
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MTSS
• MTSS & preschool – research on effective practices
http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/rti-in-pre-kindergarten
http://www.crtiec.dept.ku.edu
• MTSS and gifted - Are meetings mandated for students who
don't meet gifted criteria? 20-day rule for reviewing testing
• Do parents have the right to make written requests to
remove their children from the RTI process? If this
individual has letters written by parents stating that they do
not want their child to receive intervention can/should the
school honor those requests? Would there be any possible
legal repercussions if the school continued to provided
intervention?
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MTSS
• Examples of effective RTI programs at the middle and high
school levels and/or examples of successful alternative
school programs at that level.
• If a student has been working through RTI at the middle
school should they complete the process before sending the
student to the high school? If a student comes to us at the
high school do we continue with the next level or do we
have to begin over or can we jump to tier 3 and determine
eligibility?
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Early Warning Systems
Indicators
Thresholds
Attendance
Student missed 10% of more of instructional
time (absences)
Course Performance
Failure in one or more courses
Earned 2.0 or lower GPA (4-point scale)
Behavior
Locally validated thresholds (e.g., referrals, inor out-of-school suspensions, behavior grades)
http://betterhighschools.org/
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Conceptual Model for Evaluating MTSS
Shapiro & Clemens (2009). A conceptual model for evaluating system effects of response to intervention.
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Questions – Evaluation
• Use of Q-Interactive - Pros and Cons
• Criteria for Alternate Assessment. What qualifies as a
"significant cognitive disability?"
• Is IQ <70 the only way to qualify for AA?
• If a student is Language Impaired, is a Nonverbal IQ required?
• Can SLD students be placed in Access classes?
• Parents are requesting a list of specific evaluation
components. District seeks consent but not for complete list
that parent requested based on data. Parent refused to sign
consent for evaluation proposed by district. Has DOE
created a “white paper” on this area?
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Questions – Eligibility
• Best Practices for ESE eligibility and FAPE for private school
students
• Addressing exclusionary factors when determining eligibility
for ESE programs (i.e., Limited English Proficiency, gender,
age and cultural factors, etc.)
• How do you determine eligibility for Language Impaired
primary-aged students that are ELL?
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Questions – Eligibility
• This has to do with medically undiagnosed “potential”
ADHD… Since OHI requires a medical diagnosis eligibility
tends to be fairly clear, but what do we do when there is no
diagnosis, evaluation results are indicative of ADHD and that
the behaviors are impacting school performance, and
parents will not even consider getting a doctor diagnosis?
• Can we consider 504?
• Can we consider SLD even if the team can’t rule behavior
out?
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