ACSE Agenda April 21, 2021 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

ACSE Agenda April 21, 2021 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

ACSE Agenda April 21, 2021

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda.

Important Notice

Please note, the April 2021 Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting will be held as a teleconference; Room 1101 (board room) will be closed to the public. See ACSE Meeting Logistics section below for options to view and participate in the meeting.

Advisory Commission on Special Education Members

• David M. Toston, Chair
  Havaughnia Hayes-White, Vice Chair
  Stacey Adler
  Marie Alvarado Gil
  Michele Andrus
  Elizabeth Estes
  Dawn Hamilton
  April Lopez
  Christina Mills
  Sara Notch
  Christine Oyakawa
  Gloria Ruiz
  Kimberly Salomonson
  Jeannine Topalian
  Steven Winlock

Legislative Members

• Honorable Richard Pan, Senate
• Honorable Jim Frazier, Assembly

State Board of Education Liaison

• Ilene Straus, State Board Vice President

Executive Secretary

• Heather Calomese, Director, Special Education Division
  California Department of Education

All times are approximate and are provided for convenience only. Items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting or on a subsequent agenda. The order of business may be changed without notice. Every effort will be made to webcast this meeting in its entirety, but some portions may not be webcast due to logistical constraints.

Reasonable Accommodation for Any Individual with a Disability

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the ACSE, may request assistance by contacting the California Department of Education (CDE) Special Education Division (SED), 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA 95814; telephone: 916-445-4602; fax: 916-327-3706.

Advisory Commission on Special Education

Meeting Schedule	Meeting Location
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Pacific Time ±	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101, Sacramento, CA Phone: 916-445-4602

ACSE Meeting Logistics

On March 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20 related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Order allows state bodies covered by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Act) to hold public meetings covered by the Act via web and/or audio teleconferencing. As such, the April ACSE meeting will be held as an audio/video teleconference and will have a live webcast; Room 1101 (board room) at the California Department of Education will be closed to the public. Please see the Public Comment Guidelines section below for options to view and participate in the meeting.

Public Comment Guidelines

Public comment may be via email or phone, as specified below.

Email

The public is highly encouraged to submit written comments to the ACSE members in advance for prior consideration. In order to help ensure that commissioners have time to review the comments, please submit comments by noon on Friday, April 16, 2021. However, comments received after that time will be forwarded to Commission members until the day of the meeting. Comments should be submitted to the ACSE mailbox at: ACSE@cde.ca.gov. The following information should be included in the body of the email: (1) commenter’s first and last name, (2) organization affiliation, (3) agenda item number or general public comment.

Phone

Public comment may also be provided by dialing the phone number and participant access code that will be provided on April 21, 2021, and then following the operator’s prompts. Upon dialing in, callers will be added to a caller queue. The operator will notify callers when it is their turn to provide public comment. Public comment will be limited to one minute for each agenda item unless otherwise specified by the ACSE. Members of the public wishing to dial in for public comment should view the live-stream of the meeting. The number and access code will be provided at the start of public comment for each item.

Prior to making public comment, speakers who are watching the meeting via live webcast should make sure the volume on their computer is muted to avoid echoing or feedback sounds during the call.

Agenda Item Materials

Agenda item materials, including presentation materials, are available by sending a request for copies to ACSE@cde.ca.gov.

Advisory Commission on Special Education Mental Health Committee

Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 8–8:45 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
Sacramento, California

Members of the ACSE Mental Health Committee will be meeting prior to the start of the ACSE meeting to discuss opportunities and challenges at the state level related to improving children's social, emotional, and behavioral health.

• Purpose and role of the committee
• Committee activities and how often the committee will meet
• Opportunities and challenges related to distance learning and returning to in person learning

CONTINUE READING: ACSE Agenda April 21, 2021 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

The most effective civil rights protest that you probably never heard of | Eclectablog

The most effective civil rights protest that you probably never heard of | Eclectablog

The most effective civil rights protest that you probably never heard of

In 1977, the longest occupation of a federal building in the history of the United States of America took place and, when it ended, the protesters had achieved what nobody thought possible: regulations covering the enforcement of a four-year old law — Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The protest is now called “The 504 Sit-In” and for over three weeks, members of the disability community occupied the Federal Building at 50 United Nations Plaza in San Francisco, which housed the regional office of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW), the federal agency tasked with creating the regulations required by Rehabilitation Act.

The original protest rally at the HEW office in San Francisco was part of nationwide day of protests which began on 44 years ago today on April 5th. Unlike the protests in other cities, the organizers of the San Francisco rally had been quietly planning an occupation of the office there. Occupiers came to the rally with backpacks filled with some essentials and, when the rally concluded, the entered the building and refused to leave until HEW Secretary Joseph Califano signed the Section 504 regulations which gave guidance on how the law would be enforced.

Stories from the nearly month-long occupation are riveting and dramatic. Over 100 people with disabilities of all kinds participated. People with deafness. People with blindness. People living CONTINUE READING: The most effective civil rights protest that you probably never heard of | Eclectablog

NANCY BAILEY: Why Do So Many Children Have Dyslexia? What is it Exactly?

Why Do So Many Children Have Dyslexia? What is it Exactly?

Why Do So Many Children Have Dyslexia? What is it Exactly?

Many parents and educators raise concerns about dyslexia, and some are pushing for state laws for students with dyslexia in schools.

But why do so many children have dyslexia? What is it exactly? What causes it?

Prevalence

LD Online states that a staggering 5 to 15 percent of Americans—14.5 to 43.5 million children and adults—have dyslexia, a learning disability that makes it difficult to read, write, and spell, no matter how hard the person tries or how intelligent he or she is. 

The British Dyslexia Association claims the number of individuals with dyslexia in the UK; they call a lifelong condition, is around 10 percent.

The Dyslexia International Association states…perhaps as many as 15–20% of the population as a whole—have some of the symptoms of dyslexia, including slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing, or mixing up similar words.

That’s a lot of people who struggle to read, but why?

What is Dyslexia? 

The International Dyslexia Association says they need to create a new definition. We now know that dyslexia is real; we know what it is and what to do about it. Is CONTINUE READING: Why Do So Many Children Have Dyslexia? What is it Exactly?

Parents of Disabled Students: Do NOT Grant College Board Unlimited Access to Your Child’s Sensitive Information | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

Parents of Disabled Students: Do NOT Grant College Board Unlimited Access to Your Child’s Sensitive Information | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

PARENTS OF DISABLED STUDENTS: DO NOT GRANT COLLEGE BOARD UNLIMITED ACCESS TO YOUR CHILD’S SENSITIVE INFORMATION

We recently received a query from a Chicago parent whose child has a disability, and was seeking an accommodation when taking a College Board test. Her child’s high school asked her to sign a SSD Accommodation Consent form allowing her school to disclose her child’s disability records, as well as “any other information in the school’s custody that the College Board requests for the purpose of determining my eligibility for testing accommodations on College Board tests“.  The form also grants the “College Board permission “to discuss my disability and needs with school personnel and other professionals.” 

The Chicago parent was concerned with these overly broad permissions and crossed out portions that she disagreed with. Unfortunately for this parent, she subsequently discovered that her child’s previous high school had apparently already released confidential information to the College Board without asking for her consent.  

We wonder if this has happened to other parents. Have parents been asked to sign this form authorizing the school to release their children’s highly sensitive disability information, or worse, have CONTINUE READING: Parents of Disabled Students: Do NOT Grant College Board Unlimited Access to Your Child’s Sensitive Information | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

The Legacy Of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos | 89.3 KPCC

The Legacy Of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos | 89.3 KPCC

The Legacy Of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

What to make of the tenure of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos depends, like Beauty itself, on the eye of the beholder.

To the president who asked her to run the Department of Education, she was a loyal lieutenant who argued for her department's irrelevance in a nation where control of schools is a local affair — that is, until she argued the opposite, at the president's urging, and threatened schools with a loss of federal funding if they refused to reopen mid-pandemic.

To Christian conservatives, she was a hero who once proclaimed, "I fight against anyone who would have government be the parent to everyone." DeVos used her bully pulpit to champion religious education, push for school choice and help private schools in financial turmoil.

To her critics, including the nation's teachers unions, she was a stone-cold villain who famously suggested guns belong in some schools (to fend off bears), who needed the vice president's vote to survive confirmation and who spent four years disparaging American public education.

Whatever view you take of Secretary DeVos, here's a look back at the facts of her CONTINUE READING: The Legacy Of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos | 89.3 KPCC

STATE OF DENIAL: People with Developmental Disabilities Were Promised Help. Instead, They Face Delays and Denials. — ProPublica

People with Developmental Disabilities Were Promised Help. Instead, They Face Delays and Denials. — ProPublica

STATE OF DENIAL

People with Developmental Disabilities Were Promised Help. Instead, They Face Delays and Denials.

Arizona is known as the best state in the nation for people with developmental challenges. But its Division of Developmental Disabilities has turned down thousands of people who seek assistance because of paperwork issues.

SERIES:STATE OF DENIAL

Inside Arizona’s Division of Developmental Disabilities

This story has been translated into different formats:

• Leer en español
• Read in plain-language English
• Listen to the original text
• Read why we translated this story

This article was produced in partnership with the Arizona Daily Star, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.

Illustrated section breaks by Margie Smeller/Make Studio for ProPublica.

Kyra Wade’s favorite color is pink. The 11-year-old likes road trips and the movie “Monsters, Inc.” She loves to watch people laugh. Her culinary preferences run to noodles and rice.

Beyond that, her parents don’t know much about her needs and wants.

Kyra is autistic and profoundly deaf. She was born premature at about 27 weeks, just a little over 2 pounds, which has impacted pretty much everything: eyesight, hearing, digestion, sleep patterns. A strong tremor in her hand makes it impossible for her to use American Sign Language. Her parents think she recognizes a couple dozen signs.

They know she’s frustrated. Kyra often smacks herself on the side of the head with her hand or bites her palm so hard she draws blood, said her mother, Ka Wade. The Wades assume she is doing it when she is in pain. Kyra is not potty trained, but she got her period recently. Ka couldn’t explain what was happening.

Listen to the Story

Play the audio

The Wades moved to Arizona in the summer of 2017 with the expectation that services provided by the state would help them care for Kyra. Arizona had long enjoyed a reputation as one of the best places in the country for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Thanks to a special Medicaid program created in 1988, Arizona had an innovative and generously funded system in place.

Arizona’s Division of Developmental Disabilities, or DDD, aimed to keep people with developmental disabilities at home with family, or in small group settings, rather than place them into institutions.

For many years, it worked. The division sent nurses, speech therapists and respite workers to assist families with the responsibilities of caring 24/7 for relatives with CONTINUE READING: People with Developmental Disabilities Were Promised Help. Instead, They Face Delays and Denials. — ProPublica

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting ACSE Agenda October 21, 2020 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

 Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting

ACSE Agenda October 21, 2020

Important Notice

Please note, the October 2020 Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting will be held as a teleconference; Room 1101 (board room) will be closed to the public. See ACSE Meeting Logistics section below for options to view and participate in the meeting.

Advisory Commission on Special Education Members

• David M. Toston, Chair
  Havaughnia Hayes-White, Vice Chair
  Michele Andrus
  Dawn Hamilton
  Somer Harding
  Sara Jocham
  April Lopez
  Christina Mills
  Christine Oyakawa
  Gina Plate
  Kimberly Salomonson
  Jeannine Topalian
  Steven Winlock
  

Student Member

• Mike Infante

Legislative Members

• Honorable Richard Pan, Senate
• Honorable Jim Frazier, Assembly

State Board of Education Liaison

• Ilene Straus, State Board Member

Executive Secretary

• Heather Calomese, Director, Special Education Division
  California Department of Education

All times are approximate and are provided for convenience only. Items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting or on a subsequent agenda. The order of business may be changed without notice. Every effort will be made to webcast this meeting in its entirety, but some portions may not be webcast due to logistical constraints.

Reasonable Accommodation for Any Individual with a Disability

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the ACSE, may request assistance by contacting the California Department of Education (CDE) Special Education Division (SED), 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA 95814; telephone: 916-445-4602; fax: 916-327-3706.

Advisory Commission on Special Education

Meeting Schedule	Meeting Location
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Pacific Time ±	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101, Sacramento, CA Phone: 916-445-4602

ACSE Meeting Logistics

On March 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20 related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Order allows state bodies covered by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Act) to hold public meetings covered by the Act via web and/or audio teleconferencing. As such, the June ACSE meeting will be held as an audio/video teleconference and will have a live webcast; Room 1101 (board room) in the California Department of Education will be closed to the public. Please see the Public Comment Guidelines section below for options to view and participate in the meeting.

Public Comment Guidelines

Public comment may be via email or phone, as specified below.

Email

The public is highly encouraged to submit written comment to the ACSE members in advance for prior consideration. In order to help ensure that commissioners have time to review the comments, please submit comments by noon on Friday, October 16, 2020. However, comments received after that time will be forwarded to Commission members until the day of the meeting. Comments should be submitted to the ACSE mailbox at: ACSE@cde.ca.gov. The following information should be included in the body of the email: (1) commenter’s first and last name, (2) organization affiliation, (3) agenda item number or general public comment.

Phone

Public comment may also be provided by dialing the phone number and participant access code that will be provided on October 21, 2020, and then following the operator’s prompts. Upon dialing in, callers will be added to a caller queue. The operator will notify callers when it is their turn to provide public comment. Public comment will be limited to one minute for each agenda item unless otherwise specified by the ACSE. Members of the public wishing to dial in for public comment should view the live-stream of the meeting. The number and access code will be provided at the start of public comment for each item.

Prior to making public comment, speakers who are watching the meeting via live webcast should make sure the volume on their computer is muted to avoid echoing or feedback sounds during the call.

Agenda Item Materials

Agenda item materials, including presentation materials, are available by sending a request for copies to ACSE@cde.ca.gov.

Advisory Commission on Special Education Operations and Planning Committee

Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 9–9:45 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
Sacramento, California

Members of the ACSE Operations and Planning Committee will meet prior to the start of the ACSE meeting to discuss the operations of the ACSE for fiscal year 2020–21 and a timeline for the yearly ACSE activities.

• Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning (GOAL) award
• Election Committee
  

Advisory Commission on Special Education

Wednesday, October 21, 2020 10 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California

10–10:15 a.m. Pacific Time ±

• Call to Order–Roll Call
• Salute to the Flag
• Welcome New Members
• Communications and Announcements
• Review of Agenda
• Review of How to Provide Public Comment
  

10:15–10:45 a.m.

Item 1–State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report: Staff from the CDE, Special Education Division (SED), will provide an update on the State Performance Plan and the Annual Performance Report. Presenter: Shiyloh Becerril, Interim Associate Director, CDE, SED. (Item type: Information, discussion)

10:45–11:45 a.m.

Item 2–An Update on the California System of Support: California Center for Educator Excellence (CCEE) and Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) leads will update the commission on the activities of the California System of Support, how they are currently supporting California school districts and their plans for the 2020–21 school year. Presenters: Karla Estrada, Deputy Executive Director, Systems Improvement and Innovation, CCEE; Ann England, Marin County SELPA; Dr. Deborah Montoya, Imperial County SELPA; Jill King, Placer County SELPA; Patricia L. Schetter, University of California, Davis. (Item type: Information, discussion)

11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Item 3–Inclusive Practices in Distance Learning: Kristin Brooks and Kevin Schaefer from Supporting Inclusive Practices will highlight model inclusive practices during the pandemic as well as the opportunities to address long term barriers to inclusion. Presenters: Kristin Brooks, Executive Director, Supporting Inclusive Practices, Riverside County Office of Education; Kevin Schaefer, Director of Equity and Inclusive Practices, Supporting Inclusive Practices, El Dorado County SELPA/Charter SELPA. (Item type: Information, discussion)

12:30–1 p.m. Lunch

1–1:45 p.m.

Item 4–State Literacy Plan: Staff from the CDE, Educator Excellence and Equity Division (EEED), will review the proposed State Literacy Plan that is to be presented to the State Board of Education in November. Presenters: Aileen Allison-Zarea, Education Administrator 1, CDE, EEED; Erika St. Andre, Education Programs Consultant, CDE, EEED. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)

Background Materials are available on the CDE Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant web page

1:45–2:30 p.m.

Item 5–State Special Schools: The Director from the CDE, State Special Schools (SSS), will update the commission on the SSS, and how they are approaching instruction due to COVID 19. Presenter: Robin L. Zane, Director, SSS, CDE. (Item type: Information, discussion)

2:30–2:45 p.m. Break

2:45–3 p.m.

Item 6–Commissioner Updates and Liaison Reports: Updates from ACSE Commissioners and Reports from ACSE Liaisons will be provided. (Item type: Information, discussion)

3–3:30 p.m.

Item 7–California Special Education Funding Report: Jason Willis and Sara Menlove Doutre from WestEd, will review the information and findings in the recently released report on the California special education funding system. Presenters: Jason Willis, WestEd; Sara Menlove Doutre, WestEd. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)

Background materials are available at the WestEd website

3:30–3:45 p.m.

Item 8–State Special Education Director’s Report: The Director from the CDE, SED will provide an update on the activities of the Division. Presenter: Heather Calomese, Director, CDE, SED. (Item type: Information, discussion)

3:45–4 p.m.

Item 9–Commissioner Recognition: The Commission will recognize the work of the previous Chair, Somer Harding. (Item type: Information, discussion)

4–4:15 p.m.

Item 10–Agenda Building for ACSE Meetings: Commissioners will recommend items to be included on future ACSE meeting agendas. (Item type: Information, discussion)

4:15–4:30 p.m.

Item 11–General Public Comment: General public comment is invited on any matter, including items not on the agenda. The ACSE is precluded from discussing matters not on the agenda; however, questions may be asked by Commissioners for clarification purposes. Issues raised by the public may be referred to a future meeting agenda. Chair reserves the right to establish time limits on presentations. (Item type: Information)

4:30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT

Adjournment of meeting.

Questions: Special Education Division | ACSE@cde.ca.gov | 916-445-4602 

 Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting

Will the students who didn’t show up for online class this spring go missing forever?

No participation in online learning could be detrimental

Will the students who didn’t show up for online class this spring go missing forever?

Districts are scrambling to locate the ‘lost’ kids of Covid and reengage them in school this fall

Monica Williams remembers the late May day she and first grade teacher Lizette Gutierrez reconnected with the four young siblings from Cable Elementary. No teachers from the San Antonio elementary had heard from the children since schools closed abruptly in March due to the pandemic.

When teachers at Cable Elementary in San Antonio couldn’t reach four siblings who attended the school this spring, Monica Williams of Communities in Schools was able to arrange a meeting with them at their grandmother’s house. Credit: Monica Williams

Williams is a former social worker who serves as a site coordinator for Communities in Schools of San Antonio, a support program for low-income families operating in more than 100 schools in Bexar County, including the city of San Antonio. She and her colleagues have had to intercede in evictions, deliver supplies and report children in dire circumstances to child protective services since the start of the pandemic. This time, she knew the family. She’d become acquainted with the children before the pandemic because of their academic struggles. After making some phone calls, she located them at a hotel, where the family had moved after wearing out their welcome with relatives. Williams arranged to meet the children at their grandmother’s.

Gutierrez and Williams spent 90 minutes standing on the sidewalk outside the house in the Texas sun, at arm’s length from the students, showing them how to sign into Google Classroom on their school-provided Chromebooks and helping their father figure out passwords.

The siblings logged on for the remainder of the school year. But then they went missing again, failing to show up for the district’s summer school program, which teachers had recommended for each of them. Now Williams and school staff are heading back out into the field, trying to relocate the siblings and other children who’ve gone missing and reengage them in learning this fall. With the siblings, they finally had some luck: The children showed up for school on September 29, the second day  CONTINUE READING: No participation in online learning could be detrimental