Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting Agenda January 9 and 10, 2013 - CA Dept of Education)

Agenda January 9 and 10, 2013 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education):

Agenda January 9 and 10, 2013

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda.

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Advisory Commission on Special Education Members

Kristin Wright, Chair
Diane Fazzi, Vice Chair

Feda Almaliti
Janice Brown
Maureen Burness
Kenneth Denman
Morena de Grimaldi
Betty Karnette
Tomislav Peraic
Gina Plate
Naomi Rainey
Mariano Sanz
Barbara Schulman
Jaclyn Vincent

Student Members

Matthew Stacy
Timothy Higgins

Legislative Members

Carol Liu, Senate
Joan Buchanan, Assembly

State Board of Education

Carl Cohn, Liaison

State Special Schools

Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools & Services Division
California Department of Education

Executive Secretary

Fred Balcom, Director, Special Education Division
California Department of Education

Agenda Times Are Approximate and Are Provided for Convenience Only

All items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting. The order of business may be changed without notice.

Advisory Commission on Special Education

Schedule of Meeting	Location
Wednesday, January 9, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time ±	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, California 916-445-4602
Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time ±	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, California 916-445-4602

Please see the detailed agenda for more information about the items to be considered and acted upon. The public is welcome.

Guidelines for Public Input Sessions

The Commission welcomes public involvement. Opportunities for public comment are provided at every Commission meeting.

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 Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE), may request assistance by contacting the Special Education Division, 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA, 95814; telephone, 916-445-4602; fax, 916-327-3706.

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Advisory Commission on Special Education
Agenda, Wednesday, January 9, 2013, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California

NOTE: Items not heard or completed on January 9, 2013, may be carried over to January 10, 2013.

10:00 - 10:15 a.m.

Call to Order - Roll Call
Salute to the Flag
Communications and Announcements
Review of Agenda

10:15 a.m. - Noon

Committees meet on:

Policy:

1. Review of regulations updates and process, including Title 2 and Title 5
2. Recommendations to full Commission on process to provide public comment regarding Title 5 proposed regulations
3. Review of ACSE guidelines to direct future policy direction, in collaboration with Legislation Committee
4. Funding follow-up and proposed next steps

Legislative:

1. Review of legislative timeline and two year legislative cycle
2. Review of legislative platform and recommendations of changes and adoption by ACSE
3. Legislative purview and protocol of ACSE to weigh in
4. Establish protocol with legislation, letters, tracking of bills, public testimony at hearings
5. Assignment of roles and responsibilities

Type of Action: Action, Information

Noon - 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Item 1-Subject: Presentation: Response to Instruction and Intervention and Multi-Tiered Support(s) and Service: Success in the Field. Lessons learned from one California school district. Doreen Lohnes, Special Education Local Plan Area Director, Santa Ana Unified School District.

Type of Action: Action, Information

1:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Item 2-Subject: Report on status of existing and proposed special education credentials presented by Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Type of Action: Action, Information

2:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Item 3-Subject: Presentation and discussion on bullying and hate-motivated behavior prevention by Stephanie Pappas, Education Programs Consultant, Coordinated School Health & Safety Unit, California Department of Education. The report will include resources for parents, administrators, and students on how bullying can be prevented and addressed.

Type of Action: Action, Information

2:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Item 4-Subject: State Board of Education report from Carl Cohn, Member, State Board of Education (SBE) and SBE liaison to the Commission.

Type of Action: Action, Information

2:45 - 3:00 p.m.

Item 5-Subject: Public comment is invited on any matter not included on the printed agenda. The Commission is precluded from discussing matters not included on the meeting agenda; however, questions may be asked for clarification. Issues raised by the public may be referred to a future meeting agenda for Commission discussion. A five minute time limit is allocated for each individual.

Type of Action: Information

3:00 - 3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 - 3:30 p.m.

Item 6-Subject: Report from Joan Buchanan, Chair, California Assembly Education Committee.

Type of Action: Action, Information

3:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Item 7-Subject: Update on activities and outcomes of the Statewide Assessment Reauthorization Work Group (formerly known as the AB 250 Panel) presented by Deborah Sigman, Deputy Superintendent, District, School & Innovation Branch, California Department of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information

4:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Item 8-Subject: ACSE to develop next steps in: 1) establishing the selection process for the recipient(s) of the Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning (GOAL) Award and , 2) appoint Election Committee for the annual election of ACSE Chair and Vice Chair. Presented by Kristin Wright, ACSE Chair.

Type of Action: Action, Information

4:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Item 9-Subject: Commissioner reports on matters of interest to the memberships' appointing bodies and stakeholders.

Type of Action: Action, Information

Adjournment of day's session.

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Advisory Commission on Special Education
Agenda, Thursday, January 10, 2013, 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California

8:30 - 8:40 a.m.

Call to Order - Roll Call
Salute to the Flag
Communications and Announcements
Review of Agenda (i.e. unfinished business from prior day’s meeting)

8:40 - 9:10 a.m.

Item 10-Subject: Transition Community of Practice update on the Linked Learning Pilot Programs and Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards presented by Jill Larson, Education Programs Consultant, Special Education Division, California Department of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information

9:10 - 11:00 a.m.

Item 11-Subject: Report and discussion on activities pertaining to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and how the ACSE can support and provide input towards the implementation of CCSS in California presented by:

• Nancy S. Brownell, Senior Fellow, Office of the State Board of Education - Practices and evidence leading towards college readiness.
• Kristen Brown, Education Programs Consultant, Policy and Program Services Unit, Special Education Division, California Department of Education - Update on National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) and Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium (SBAC) specific to students with disabilities.
• Carrie Roberts, Education Administrator I, Literacy/History & Arts Leadership Unit, Professional Learning Support Division, California Department of Education - CCSS professional learning modules that include instructional strategies to support the learning of all pupils, including English learners, pupils with disabilities, and underperforming pupils.
• Tom Adams, Director, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division, California Department of Education - Criteria for adoption of textbooks and sequence of math instruction standards revision linked to SB 1200 (Steinberg).
• Kristin Wright, Chairperson, Advisory Commission on Special Education - Remarks on ACSE activities regarding CCSS.

Type of Action: Action, Information

11:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Item 12-Subject: Input is invited from the public and organizational representatives including, yet not limited to, the following interested entities: California Association of Resource Specialist Plus, California Teachers Association, California State Employees Association, Parent-Teachers Associations, Special Education Administrators of County Offices, Special Education Local Plan Areas, Family Empowerment Centers, Parent Training and Information Centers, California Charter Schools Association, and California Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The Special Education Local Plan Area organization will provide input regarding a report on Special Education Expenditures, Revenues and Provision in California developed by the American Institutes for Research as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd.

Type of Action: Action, Information

11:30 a.m. - Noon

Item 13-Subject: State Special Schools report by Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools & Services Division, California Department of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information

Noon - 12:30 p.m.

Item 14-Subject: Special Education Division report by Fred Balcom, Director, Special Education Division, California Department of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information

12:30 - 1:00 p.m.

Item 15-Subject: Unfinished business from prior day's agenda, meeting summary and wrap up, and agenda building for January, 2013 ACSE meeting.

Type of Action: Action, Information

Adjournment of day's session.
Adjournment of meeting.

Los Angeles nonprofit receives $30 million from U.S. Department of Education - latimes.com

Los Angeles nonprofit receives $30 million from U.S. Department of Education - latimes.com:

Los Angeles nonprofit receives $30 million from U.S. Department of Education

A Los Angeles-area nonprofit that provides education services to low-income families and poverty-stricken communities received a $30-million grant from the U.S. Department of Education on Friday.
The Youth Policy Institute is one of seven agencies in the nation to be awarded a Promise Neighborhood grant, implemented in 2010 by President Obama, and will receive $6 million every year for five years. The grant will be matched dollar for dollar by key founders in the community including the California Endowment, Weingart and Annenberg foundations.
As the lead agency for Los Angeles’ Promise Neighborhood collective, the Youth Policy Institute will distribute the money to its various community-based partners, namely ones in Pacoima and Hollywood.
“On a practical level, it means that those communities are going to be transformed,” said Dixon Slingerland, the 

Daily Kos: On the issue of arming people in schools

Daily Kos: On the issue of arming people in schools:

On the issue of arming people in schools

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

crossposted from Blue Virginia

I oppose putting more guns into schools
A policeman with a sidearm will be no match for someone with the AR-15 Bushmaster shown above.  I do not want to turn our schools into armed camps.
I wrote a version of this as a comment in an on-line discussion about Terry McAuliffe's proposal to place armed policemen in every school in the Commonwealth.  Since then we have had a parallel proposal from Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association to have armed NRA trained volunteers in every school. Governor McDonnell has argued for training school personnel to carry weapons as a means of keeping students secure. All three are wrong.
Keep in mind there was an armed policeman at Columbine.
Keep in mind that the Fort Hood shooting took place in the midst of a heavily armed military base.
And keep in mind that just as LaPierre was holding a press conference, a man was walking down a highway in rural Pennsylvania shooting people.  He killed three and wounded several others, including State Policemen, 

Michelle Obama’s advice on talking to young people about Newtown:

Michelle Obama’s advice on talking to young people about Newtown

Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 21, 2012 at 4:45 pm

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Here is an open letter released today from First Lady Michelle Obama with ideas for teachers and parents on  discussing the tragedy in Newtown with children and young people.

Dear parents,

Like every American, Barack and I are absolutely heartbroken about the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Newtown, Connecticut.  And like so many of you, our first reactions were not as a President and First Lady, but as a Mom and Dad.  We were asking ourselves, what if this had been our town, or our school, or our girls? 

And we know that all across the country, it’s not just adults who are asking questions right now – our children are looking for answers as well.  Like us, they want to know, 

'Let's arm the young-uns': tweets on NRA proposal

by Valerie Strauss

Here are some tweets responding to the National Rifle Association's proposal announced today to put armed guards in every school in the country.

RT @gtoppo: In the Video Game the NRA Just Blamed for School Shootings, Everyone in the School Is Armed slate.com/blogs/future_t
— Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) December 21, 2012

Read full article >>

The NRA, Newtown, and Columbine « Student Activism

The NRA, Newtown, and Columbine « Student Activism:

The NRA, Newtown, and Columbine

by Angus Johnston

Today’s press conference by NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre has been greeted with a storm of derision and outrage from across the political spectrum. Even moderates and conservatives were appalled — New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s comment that the speech reflected a “paranoid, dystopian vision” of America was distinctive more for its phrasing than its sentiment.
One of the most ridiculed elements of LaPierre’s appearance was his call for a national volunteer force of armed guards to patrol every school in America — a “blanket of safety,” he called it, and he wants it in place by the end of the Christmas break.
Some observers were quick to point out that Columbine High School had an armed sheriff’s deputy on site on the day that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered thirteen and wounded twenty-one more in what stands as the bloodiest high school massacre in the nation’s history.
Some conservatives are “peeved” by this criticism, however. As Daniel Foster writes at the website of the 

Moulding Young Minds through the militarization of education: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran

Moulding Young Minds through the militarization of education: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran:

Moulding Young Minds through the militarization of education: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran

by Danny Weil

Moulding Young Minds: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran

Patrick Henningsen 21st Century

Wire Dec 18, 2012

What exactly are we teaching your children? I remember my history lessons in school. Among many things, I can recall Normandy, Patton’s march through France and the Battle of the Bulge, Korea, Vietnam and how about the millions of deaths on – as well as off, the fields of battle throughout history. All in all, it was a tale of battles won and lost, and as was rightly put by my junior high school teacher – a tale of caution for future generations. But as young students, we were never taught to idiosyncrasies of ‘war-gaming’ a conflict in the future. Nor can I recall getting lessons in school about using various aspects of asymmetrical warfare to encircle an enemy, or how admirable and clever it is to deploy terrorist units to bomb a country in order to ‘soften it up’ from within.

Unbeknownst to many people, there are school teachers who are delivering pro-war propaganda, indoctrinating young children with violent globalist military stratagem selling the concept of an inevitable war on the people of Iran as well as anyone else deemed as ‘Axis’ powers in relation to western central planning. Interestingly, and quite horrific in fact, when challenged by his young (and extremely bright) female student over her idea of obtaining from a western pre-emptive intervention against Iran, the teacher addressing these students laid do

School Tech Connect: Labor Ruling On Chicago Gulen School

School Tech Connect: Labor Ruling On Chicago Gulen School:

Labor Ruling On Chicago Gulen School

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

NLRB just ruled on the Chicago Math and Science Academy--- the Gulen charter in Rogers Park that doesn't want to be subject to the IELRB.

In other words, they want to be a private employer, even though they're a public school. It's a complex ruling, and I've posted it below, but I think the union won..   You read it and tell me if I'm wrong. I have to get to a train.

Jersey Jazzman: Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers

Jersey Jazzman: Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers:

Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers

by Duke

The Reformy Ladies Sewing Circle and Pearl Clutching Society is apparently auditioning new members. Who better to join than the queen of teachers union bashers, Campbell Brown?

For example, the unions’ newest patron saint, education writer Diane Ravitch, wrote a post titled “The Hero Teachers of Newtown.” Just three days after the shooting, Ravitch described the teachers’ bravery not in individual terms, but by linking it to their union membership. The implication was clear: nonunion teachers would not have acted the same way. And if that weren’t enough, she used the dead to rant against teacher evaluations, tenure, and student testing. She also criticized Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy for supporting charter schools, saying, “Let us hope Governor Malloy learned something these past few days about the role of public schools in their communities. Newtown does not need a charter school. What it needs now is healing.” What a creative 

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance:

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance

by Server

December 16, 2012


Dear Friend of Teaching Tolerance,


When the news about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School broke on Friday, we quickly issued someadvice for teachers heading back to school on Monday. 

Sadly, we had that advice ready. In the wake of last summer’s shootings at the movie theater in Aurora, Colo. and at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis., we had decided to write a magazine article exploring ways teachers could help students cope in the aftermath of violence. 

We knew that, sooner or later, another national tragedy would provoke classroom questions. And we also knew that too many of our students–in cities across the country like New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, Newark and Oakland–face deadly violence in their neighborhoods.
The violence rarely happens in school, but wherever it happens, children are affected. Whether the violence is local or brought to children via the media, we know that teachers, counselors and principals stand alongside parents as the trusted adults who help children navigate the terrible news. 

On Friday, the violence happened in school, a place where each of you work every day and to which you will return tomorrow. Most of the victims are children, just like those you teach. Others were educators, like you, who died trying to protect their students. 

I’m 

Arm Teachers? « My Island View

Arm Teachers? « My Island View:

Arm Teachers?

by tomwhitby

I hate the fact that this country has been thrown into this discussion the way that it has. The events leading to this discussion were costly and horrific. As I have stated before we need to discuss the facts and not propaganda or demagogy. We should also examine the facts without emotion which, in light of events and the victims, seems an impossible task. Educators have now been thrust into the discussion as a result of so many schools being victimized. There is also a consideration by some to arm teachers.
In a recent discussion on BAM radio three education groups, a national teacher group, a national principal group, and a national superintendent group were asked about their position on arming teachers. The lens that we use must influence our opinions. The teachers’ group, whose members are closest to kids, was against it. The principals’ group, whose members are closest to the teachers, was against it. The superintendents’ group whose members are closest to outside forces of education supported it. These are groups and not individuals. I am sure 

NYC Educator: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

NYC Educator: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!:

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

by NYC Educator

 I opened my DOE email today to see the message below. You can imagine how thrilled I must have been.

It's very gratifying to know that I'm among the few, the proud, the elite, selected by my principal to grade the papers of abject strangers. It will be really exciting for me to contribute to the grades of kids I've never met, and likely never will.

Oddly, this message, though full of praise, neglects to mention the real reason I'm being shipped off to Bayside High School---I cannot be trusted to grade my own students. Those would be the kids I work with day in and day out, the kids whose papers I carry in my bag, the ones I spend hours correcting.

I can't be trusted to grade their papers because I'm prejudiced. I want them to do well. And NY State assumes I am fundamentally dishonest and will give them passing grades for no good reason. The letter should say, "Because you are a dishonest worthless piece of slime, we have determined you are not only unfit to design tests for your students, but also to grade them."

The actual letter reads like this:

Dear NYC EDUCATOR,

Congratulations!

        Your principal has selected you to score the Comprehensive English NYS Regents exam for the January 

Current US Public Education Kills Creativity Video Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

Current US Public Education Kills Creativity Video
 The Business Model of Public Education has no use for youthful creativity since it pursuesmore and more profits to help the 1% maintain and increase their wealth as they maintain the US masses' pursuit of ignoramousness... becoming real life "Dumb and Dumber" characters that do the gruntwork and bidding of the rich and superrich.


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Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People | Truth in American Education

Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People | Truth in American Education:

Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People

by Shane Vander Hart

This is from a teacher in Indiana, Kris Nielsen, who was an avid supporter of the Common Core State Standards, he did a presentation on the Common Core for parents to ease their concerns.  Now he apologizes for that and says they should be concerned:

First, I want to offer you my apologies.  It wasn’t long after my presentation that I had a crushing realization that the entire thing (minus the hands-on stuff) was completely misguided.  I felt like a flip-flopper, but I’ve always valued the truth more than feeling good.  So, I’m here to clear the air.  The truth hurts and it should start scaring the hell out of you, because your children are your most precious gift and you will do anything to protect them.

The whole reason I was part of the team that put those presentations together was to ease your worry about the changes that were coming.  I’m here to retract everything I said.  You should be worried.  Very worried!

I was wrong.  The Common Core State Standards is a sham, the Smarter Balanced Assessment 

Opaqueness and Closed Government

by chascherrie

Jay P. Greene’s Blog “Head Start Manipulating Scumbags” starts off with an excellent video clip that has more global applicability than just addressing Head Start.
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Jay P. Greene says:

I should repeat that the researchers have done an excellent job evaluating Head Start in this case.  It is the bureaucratic class at the Department of Health and Human Services who have cynically manipulated, delayed, and misreported this research.  The pending report is already delayed several years and has been around for a long time.  The decision to release it on the Friday afternoon before Christmas is completely calculated.

Does this sound familiar to you—“cynically manipulated, delayed, and misreported this research”?  When the 

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay - The ITT List

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay - The ITT List:

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay

BY SARAH COBARRUBIAS

CTU president Karen Lewis chimed in to chide TFA vice president David Rosenberg for his Twitter attack against education historian Diane Ravitch. (Chicago Teachers Union / Flickr / Creative Commons.)

On Monday, education historian Diane Ravitch posted some thoughts on her blog concerning the heroism of the teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary, noting that they were unionized. Some, such as David Rosenberg, vice president of Teach for America, were incensed by the piece, but Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis lept to Ravitch's defense, writing on Ravitch's blog:

Diane has been at the forefront of the desire to lift up the beleaguered profession of teaching in each and every post. She has drawn the connections between people who wouldn’t think of sending their children to public schools and their policies that are destroying the common good. Anyone who doesn’t know that in the marrow of their bones, doesn’t read her blog.

The Ravitch post that drew ire opened with heartwarming praise for the teachers who “reacted with astonishing courage to the unthinkable, the terrifying intrusion of a man intent on murdering them and their students. With no thought of their own safety, they defended their children.”

But that’s not what’s causing all the fuss. Ravitch changed tone toward the end:

Oh, and one other thing, all these dedicated teachers belonged to a union. The senior 

Who is leading us over what cliff? « Deborah Meier on Education

Who is leading us over what cliff? « Deborah Meier on Education:

Who is leading us over what cliff?

by debmeier

Ask any true blue/red revolutionary–left or right–and they’ll tell you that the trick is to act fast and furiously when you have a chance (there may be a short window before the opposition recoups). That mens moving fast on changes that are hard to undo. Who would of dreamed, even a decade ago, that so many public schools could be closed and so many charters could be fitted into existing public buildings, and that the contracts signed between teachers and management couldl be nullified, in fact if not on paper. The mechanism, Mayoral control backed solidly by the business community, and/or state take-over of municipalities. The Chicago Tribune has just exposed a secret plan to take over another 100 schools–to be announced in March for 2013-14. In NYC, more closings are proposed–I her rumors about how many. Ditto Detroit, Washington D.C. (where 30 more are being closed). Once students and teachers are removed from the scene, and either fired or sent elsewhere, it’s 

Ed Notes Online: Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco

Ed Notes Online: Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco:

Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco

by ed notes online

"Now you want to take my school and say Success Academy will give them choice when the choice is PS 138 ... I am a choice too."

There wasn't much different at the PEP yesterday other than a somewhat rare event -- the outrage of the principal of a school (PS 138) that has a good rep but us in an increasingly gentrifying zone and thus became a target for an Eva invasion. She was following Success clones who kept talking about the high achievement of their schools (which I am always skeptical about) as an excuse to give them the right to invade any place they deem propper knowing that their SUNY and DOE servants will hand over the plumpest real estate. I have a few more videos to show later from the meeting, including speeches from 2 contenders for Public Advocate, Tish James and Noah Gotbaum.


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