Introduction to FIMC-VI for New Teachers and
New Program Supervisors
1:00 Welcome
1:10 Overview of FIMC-VI
Accessible Instructional Materials
APH
Professional learning
1:30 Florida State Board Rule and Technical Assistance
Paper
Eligibility requirements
Assessments to meet those requirements
2:00 Essential Assessments for Students with Visual
Impairments
2:20 Follow-up and questions
2:30 Adjourn
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To provide new teachers of the visually impaired
and new program supervisors:
◦ Timely information in a cost-effective manner
◦ Overview of FIMC-VI, APH, and upcoming events
◦ National and State Initiatives related to students with
visual impairments
◦ Statewide and local resources
ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
ACHIEVEMENT FOR FLORIDA’S
STUDENTS WITH VISUAL
IMPAIRMENTS.
Provide free, appropriate, high-quality instructional
materials in a timely fashion.
Advance competencies of teachers, administrators, and
families through professional learning, resources, and
support.
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Statewide resource center for the K-12 students
who are visually impaired and enrolled in public
or private educational program
Operates under the Department of Education
Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student
Services (BEESS) on an annual grant. Leanne
Grillot is our DOE Program Specialist
Leanne.Grillot@fldoe.org
Hillsborough County School District is the fiscal
agent of the Center
1.
2.
Procurement or productions and distribution of
accessible instructional materials
Professional Learning
a) Working with the Experts
b) Quality Programs for Students with Visual Impairments
(QPVI)
c) QPVI- Building Local Capacity
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Braille FCAT development
Volunteer services for braille and audio
Professional Loan Library
NIMAS Florida
Braille Challenge
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Over 30,000 braille, large print and audio books in
inventory
Over 6,000 books and materials provided to
students annually
Full-scale production facility for braille, large print
materials
Shipping and receiving departments to manage
distribution and warehousing
 BRAILLE,
DIGITAL,
LARGE PRINT AND
AUDIO MATERIALS
◦ Textbooks
◦ Supplemental classroom
materials
◦ Assessments: FCAT, End of
Course Exams, Stanford
◦ Library books and
recreational reading
materials
Most Florida textbooks are not available
through American Printing House for the
Blind (APH)
 Braille Textbooks – for initial
transcriptions an Ink Print (copy of the
book) is often required
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◦ Outside Vendors
◦ Volunteer Braille Groups
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Large Print – Perform a Learning Media
Assessment to determine if it is
educationally necessary!
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Braille books ordered in April 2011 - 96% shipped
complete*
Braille books ordered in May 2011 – 87% shipped
complete
Braille books ordered in June 2011 – 75% shipped
complete
Braille books ordered in July 2011 - 70% shipped
complete
Braille books ordered in AUGUST – 49% shipped
complete
* New transcriptions are shipped in volumes as
they are completed. These numbers represent the
complete books that have been shipped and does
not include partial shipments
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Large print books ordered in April, May, or June
– 100% shipped complete
Large print books ordered in July - 95% shipped
complete
Large print books ordered in August - 72%
shipped complete
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In 1879 the Congress of the United States passed
the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. This
act designates APH as the official supplier of
educational materials to all students in the U.S.
who meet the definition of blindness and are
working at less than college level.
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States have “Trustees” that manage the Federal
Quota Accounts. Florida’s Trustees are Suzanne
Dalton (Supervisor) from FIMC-VI and
Superintendent from FSDB.
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FIMC-VI receives approximately $300 in federal
funds for each student who is “Legally Blind” and
has not graduated from high school. We receive
no federal funds for students 20/70 to 20/200.
Students must be registered each year with FIMCVI and APH for FIMC-VI to be eligible for these
funds.
These funds are a small percentage of actual
equipment and textbooks provided.
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Who is eligible?
◦ Meet the definition of blindness -20/200 or less in
the better eye with best correction or a
peripheral field of vision no greater than 20
degrees OR function at the definition of blindness
when visual performance is reduced by a brain
injury or dysfunction.
◦ Be enrolled in a formally organized public or
private, nonprofit educational program of less
than college level.
◦ Have an eye medical exam within the last three
years
◦ Be enrolled with the registering school or agency
on the first Monday in January. (Only one school
or agency can register a child.)
Explore the APH Catalog at
www.aph.org
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Perkins Braille Writer - $650
Light Box – $460
Math Builders Kits – $250
Graphic Aid for Mathematics - $172
On the Way to Literacy – early print/braille books $408
Sensory Learning Kit - $499
Book Port Plus $399
Braille version of the Woodcock Johnson Test of
Achievement - $300
Squid Magazine - $50
 APH
MATERIALS
◦ Braille writers, abacus, slate and stylus
◦ Tangible graphics – maps, charts, and
graphs
◦ Digital players
◦ Light boxes, toys, concept development
materials
◦ Transition, vocational, daily living
materials
◦ Pre-Braille and emergent literacy
materials
APH FUNDS ARE
AVAILABLE!
Order what you need by
September 15 ….
(Excessive orders are subject to review by FIMC-VI,
You will be asked to fill out forms to justify the
expenditure. )
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Student Registration – EVERY student EVERY
year
◦ Current eye medical is mandatory to register student
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www.aph.org to see catalog online or to order print
catalogs
Tangible order form is found on our website at:
www.fimcvi.org/materials
All orders go through Kathee Cagle – you can
email her the form or contact her at
kcagle@fimcvi.org
Enhancing competencies of teachers, administrators,
and families of students with visual impairments
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WORKING WITH THE EXPERTS
Seminars for teachers and parents for techniques and
methods for teaching students with visual impairments
Held at least once annually for 32 years
◦ Over 100 seminars since 1980
◦ Average 200 participants a year
◦ Nationally known presenters from US and Canada
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District program review of quality indicators
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Current eye medicals
Functional Vision Assessments
Learning Media Assessments
Expanded Core Curriculum Assessments
Number of consult to direct services
Scope and intensity of services
Role of TVI, O&M, paraprofessionals, etc.
Establishing a consistency of practice to a
research-based standard
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Two models being implemented in Florida
◦ QPVI: Local districts, in depth, 3-year self-study
◦ QPVI - Building Local Capacity: Workshop series that
provides foundations of QPVI while helping districts and
TVIs meet the requirements of the Florida State Board
Rule.
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To date: Eight districts involved in full QPVI and 24
districts have participated in QPVI-Building Local
Capacity
Affiliated with the National Braille
Challenge sponsored by Braille
Institute of America
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FIMC-VI contracts with Sue Glaser to manage all
aspects of the Florida Braille Challenge
Grown from one event with 19 students in 2008 to
three events with over 80 students participating in 2011
2012 will offer four events
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Tallahassee
Ft. Lauderdale
Orlando
Tampa
Data analysis shows improvement in braille reading
fluency and comprehension for students participating
for more than two consecutive years
 PROFESSIONAL
LIBRARY
◦ Approx. 400 items checked-out annually
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THE VISUAL FIELD
E-NEWSLETTER
◦ Training opportunities/current events to over 600
teachers and families quarterly
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September 20 – Ushers Screening Training in Ft.
Myers
September 26 – Webinar - Power Point for the TVI
(part 1 of 2)
October 24 – Power Point for the TVI (part 2)
October 31 – November 1: QPVI Facilitator Training
in Tampa
November 2 - 3: QPVI - Building Local Capacity in
Lake Placid (Session 1 of 3)
November 4: QPVI - Building Local Capacity in
Sanford
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November 17: Ushers Screening Training at
FIMC-VI
November 28: Excel for the TVI Webinar (part 1)
December 1 – 2: Working with the Experts Math Strategies (“But I’m not the math teacher.
Oh, but you are the ECC – Nemeth code, abacus,
math concepts, manipulatives, assistive
technology and math access – teacher. ) in
Daytona Beach.
December 7 -10: Getting In Touch With Literacy
Conference in Louisville, Kentucky
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January 10: QPVI Building Local Capacity in Miami
January 11-12: QPVI Building Local Capacity
(session 2 of 3) Lake Placid
January 13: QPVI Building Local Capacity in Sanford
January 20: Braille Challenge - Tallahassee
January 30: New Teacher Orientation Webinar (part
2)
February 2: Braille Challenge - Orlando
February 20: Excel for TVIs (part 2)
February 24: Braille Challenge - Ft. Lauderdale
March 2: Braille Challenge - Tampa
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April 3 and 4: Working with the Experts – Intensive
Reading Strategies (“But I’m not the reading teacher.
Oh, but you are the ECC – braille, assistive
technology, concepts, and access to reading –
teacher.’) in Tampa
April 5 - New Teacher Orientation and Vision
Contact Meeting at FIMC-VI - Tampa
April 10-11: QPVI Building Local Capacity (part 3)
Lake Placid
May 3-5 FAER and Jo Taylor Leadership Institute in
St. Pete
May 11 – New Teacher Orientation Webinar (part 3)
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Suzanne Dalton – Supervisor
Kay Ratzlaff – Coordinator
Donna Ross – District Resource Teacher
Cynthia Cookson – Secretary and NIMAS Florida
Kathee Cagle – Order Processing and APH Census
Cathy Babbitt – Clerk
Diana Moyer- Large Print Production
Vernon Underwood – Braille Production
Siew Ng – Braillist
Denise Battle – Shipping
Curtis Nelson - Receiving
What you need to know
Criteria for eligibility: A student is eligible for a
special program for the visually impaired if the
following medical and educational criteria are met:
(a) Medical. There is a documented eye
impairment as manifested by at least one of the
following:
1. A visual
acuity of 20/70 or less in the better
eye after best possible correction;
2. A peripheral field so constricted that it
affects the student's ability to function in an
educational setting;
3. A progressive loss of vision which may
affect the student's ability to function in an
academic setting or,
4. For children birth to five (5) years of age
OR STUDENTS WHO ARE OTHERWISE
UNABLE TO BE ASSESSED: bilateral lack of
central, steady, or maintained fixation of vision
with an estimated visual acuity of 20/70 or less
after best possible correction; bilateral central
scotoma involving the perimacula area (20/8020/200); bilateral grade III, IV, or V Retinopathy
of Prematurity (ROP); or documented eye
impairment as stated in paragraph (3)(a) of this
rule.
(b) If a medical criterion listed in SB 6A-6.0314 is
met, then a comprehensive assessment of
skills known to be impacted by a visual
impairment, shall include, but is not limited to:
functional vision evaluation, learning media
assessment, and if appropriate, orientation and
mobility.
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Excludes students who have “learning problems
that are primarily the result of visual perceptual
and/or visual motor difficulties.”
Mandates functional vision evaluations and
learning media assessments
Students with visual impairments must have a
three-year reevaluation because of the requirement
to have a current medical eye exam
Expanded Core Curriculum
Can you name the areas???
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Assistive Technology
Compensatory Skills (abacus, manipulatives,
Communication skills: braille, Nemeth Code,
writing, etc.
Recreation and Leisure
Orientation and Mobility
Social Skills
Self-Determination
Visual / Sensory Efficiency
Independent Living Skills
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Of those “skills known to be impacted by a
visual impairment” (ECC) how many of those
are being assessed for three-year evaluations?
What assessment instruments are you using?
Could a DOE “monitor team” identify the
assessments?
Are the assessments standards and research
based and/or published?
Are those skills reflected in the IEP Present
Level of Performance?
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In the case of a student who is blind or visually
impaired, provision of instruction in braille and
the use of braille unless the IEP team
determines, after an evaluation of the
student’s reading and writing skills, needs,
including future needs, and appropriate
reading and writing media, that instruction in
braille or the use of braille is not appropriate
for the student.
Braille is the default learning media. We
have to demonstrate and document that
braille is not needed. This includes a
reasonable expectation braille will not be
needed in the future.
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B-2 District’s responsibility to obtain medical
documentation,
B-9 Eye medical for child who is totally blind
B-10 No consent to test
C-3 Patching
C-5 Visual Perceptual or visual motor problems
(vision therapy)
Posted on FIMC-VI Website:
http://www.fimcvi.org/eligibility/
• Functional
Vision
• Learning Media
• ECC
Assessment
IEP
• Priority Needs
• Goal and
Objectives
• Time
• Intensity
• Skills Taught
Services
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Created by American Foundation for the Blind and
Vanderbilt University
Provides criteria for functional vision and learning
media assessments
Has built-in resources and video support
Integrated into the QPVI workshops and self-study
Can be found at www.qpvi.com (new website is in
development)
Nancy Toelle (QPVI) and I have developed Rubrics for
administrators and teachers to evaluate current
functional vision and learning media assessments
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Florida Low Vision Initiative (Kim Roberts and Alysa
Crooke)
Florida Outreach Project for Children and Young
Adults with Deaf-Blindness (Emily Taylor-Snell)
Florida Outreach Services for Blind/Visually Impaired
and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (Diana Deacon)
FSU Teacher Prep Programs – Undergraduate and
Graduate
◦ Tallahassee (Dr. Sandra Lewis)
◦ St. Petersburg/Tampa (Sue Glaser)
◦ Miami-Dade/ Broward (Jennifer Breitinger)
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You will be emailed evaluation questions, please
reply (we need this information for our grant.)
Next session is January 30 at 2:00 p.m.
Suggestions for other topics or Webinars?
Email: kratzlaff@fimcvi.org
This PowerPoint will be posted at www.fimcvi.org