Child Outcomes Reporting in Wisconsin

LEAs are required to complete all exit records for children who have a Child Outcomes entry record and either exited early childhood special education, transferred to another LEA, or turned 6 years old during 7/1/10-6/30/11. Exit records must be completed 30 days after a child no longer receives early childhood special education services. Access to 2010-2011 Child Outcomes records will not be available after 10/1/11.

 

Effective July 1, 2011 all LEAs will be required to annually collect Indicator 7 Child Outcomes data for all children entering and exiting early childhood special education. Also beginning July 1, 2011, the entry date will be defined as the projected IEP implementation date rather than the IEP placement signature date

Monica De Groot Retirement

Monica spent the past 31 years working with students with our most severe disabilities as both a teacher and an assistant.  It takes an incredible person to have a career in education spending that many quality years working with our most severe students with disabilities. 

Monica De Groot has officially announced her retirement pending Board of Education approval in July.  Please wish her and her family nothing but happiness and the best in the future. 

High School Special Education Scheduling

HS Special Education Scheduling for 11-12 is primarily done. This is pending any changes related to late staff retirement and potential realignment of certified and/or support staff based on that which there might be some. 

Sign Language Interpreter Transition Meeting

There will be a Sign Language Interpreter transition meeting on Wednesday July 27 at 2:00 pm at MAES.  Meghan Jansen – new Sign Language, Mikaela Hatfield – prior Sign Language, Sheryl Balciar – Speech Language, Dave Madson – Hearing Impaired, and parents will be in attendance.  MAES Conference Room has been reserved. 

School to Work Coordinator Position Responsibilities

School to Work Coordinator Position

It is my understanding the School to Work Coordinator position will include the following:

180 school days X 5 hours a day = 900 hours

15 summer days X 5 hours a day = 75 hours

There is still 25 hours to be flexible with at the end/beginning of the school year and/or the beginning of a new semester.  These flexible hours would also take into account any days off needed during the school year for illness, vacation, emergency, etc...

3 things will change:

1) Terry Lybert will take over all Youth Apprenticeship students

2) Jina Lange will take over all 9th hour students (Seniors)

3) Barb Kinnison (Special Ed. Job Coach) will take over Special Ed portion of the job

School to Work Coordinator Position

I anticipate that the School to Work Coordinator position (Mary Houle) will be posted as a 5 1/2 hour per day position with some summer hours. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Kim Heckel at the DO for more information.

Updated List of Special Education Summer Trainings

Please contact Luanne Olson at the District Office 715-748-4620 ext 534 or olsonlu@medford.k12.wi.us for registration of these trainings.  Contact me for more information if you are interested in attending:

August 2

Kurzweil = 8:00 to 12:00 at MASH

Dragon Naturally Speaking = 12:30 to 2:30 at MASH

August 3

Voyager Math Live (Grades 2 and up) = 8:00 to 12:00 at MAMS

www.voyagerlearning.com

            Picture Exchange Communication System = 12:00 to 3:00 at MAES

August 4

TEACCH (Autism) = 9:00 to 1:00 at District Office

http://teacch.com/

Board Maker = 1:00 to 5:00 at MAES

August 5

iPad Curriculum = 8:00 to 12:00 at District Office

August 10

Read Write and Gold = 12:00 to 4:00 at District Office

http://texthelp.com

Taylor County Literacy Council

Our next Taylor County Literacy Council meeting will be held on Monday July 25 at NTC Campus in Medford starting at 7:00 pm.  We will also have a booth at the Taylor County Fair.

Mandarin/Cantonese Interpreter

We have a Kindergarten transfer student whose primary language is: Mandarin/Cantonese. If you know anyone who speaks this language and might be interested in translating, please let me know. 

Pre-Kindergarten Enrollment

We are up to 126 students enrolled in our Pre-Kindergarten program.  We are looking at placing 32 students at SES for 11-12.  This would involve a transfer of 5 students unless more SES residents move in.  

Head Start Classroom

Head Start had asked if Medford Schools was interested in renting them a classroom for the 11-12 school year.  They are looking to get out of their current location.  It was decided there was not a classroom space available for them to rent in 11-12.

Rotary Foreign Exchange Student Program

Savannah Huml (daughter of SES Teacher Jeanne Huml) will be our Outgoing Foreign Exchange Student from Medford in 11-12.  She will be leaving for Norway in August.  

Special Education Van Driver

We are looking for someone to drive a Special Education Van Transportation route in the morning before school. This was done by David and Nikki Clements in 10-11 but they are unable to do so in 11-12.  If you know of anyone who would be interested, please contact me or Luanne. 

Special Education Enrollment and Staffing

We have 290 students enrolled to receive special education as of July 2011.  This is a higher number than in past years.  I am still concerned about meeting individual student needs and IEPs without additional support.  I am hopeful the district will consider the addition of special education staff at MAES, MAMS, and MASH for 11-12 prior to start of 11-12.  Maintenance of Effort and additional Medicaid Reimbursement could cover those expenses.  

IDEA MOE Update – New OSEP Guidance – from DPI

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires a local educational agency (LEA) to expend from local and state funds at least as much in the current year as it expended in the preceding year, except as provided.  This provision is known as the maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. When an LEA fails to maintain its level of local expenditures for special education, the State of Wisconsin must pay the U.S. Department of Education from state funds an amount equal to the LEA’s shortfall in local fiscal effort.  The LEA, in turn, reimburses the State, using funds for which it is not accountable to the federal government.  The IDEA regulations do not address whether in the year following the year in which the LEA failed to meet the MOE requirement, the LEA must expend at least the amount it expended in the last year it met the MOE requirement or the lower amount it expended in the immediate prior fiscal year when it failed the MOE requirement. 

In a June 16, 2011, response to an inquiry from Bill East, Executive Director of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, issued a policy interpretation addressing this issue.  The letter may be viewed at http://lists.dpi.wi.gov/t/86899/96920/270/0/ It notes the IDEA does not contain a specific provision addressing this circumstance and states “…the Department must rely on the plain language of the statute and regulation…which provide that an LEA may not reduce its level of expenditures…below the level of those expenditures for the preceding fiscal year.”  The letter continues, “It [the LEA] is not obligated to expend at least the amount it expended in the last fiscal year for which it met the maintenance of effort requirement. In other words, each year’s LEA maintenance of effort obligation is based on the amount expended in the immediate prior fiscal year.” 

An LEA that fails to meet the MOE requirement is only required to expend from local and state funds the amount it expended in the immediate prior fiscal year. The DPI will apply this standard for FY 2011. For example, if an LEA expended $650,000 from local and state funds in FY 2009 and only $600,000 in FY 2010, it failed the MOE requirement by $50,000. Consistent with the OSEP policy interpretation, the LEA was required to expend at least $600,000 in FY 2011, not the $650,000 the LEA expended when it last met the MOE requirement in FY 2009. 

Please note an LEA must budget at least as much local and state funds for special education, either in total or per capita, as it expended in the most recent fiscal year.  Therefore, in order to be eligible to receive IDEA grants in FY 2012, an LEA must budget at least the amount of local and state funds it expended in FY 2011.  An LEA that does not meet this requirement will not be eligible for IDEA grants in FY 2012.

Transfer of Service

The Transfer of Service Exemption (WI Statute 121.91(4)(a) provides that a school district which assumes responsibility for a program or service from another governmental unit may request and be granted an exemption to the district revenue limit equal to the increased cost due to that program or service. If the service transferred is a student that requires Special Education or ESL services, the exemption will be reduced by the amount of categorical aid the district will receive the following year, as determined by DPI. If the previous governmental unit was another Wisconsin school district, that district's revenue limit may be reduced by an amount equal to their reduction in cost as a result of that transfer out.

I anticipate requesting Transfer of Service Exemption for 2-3 students.  This will be projected revenue savings of $20,000. These are submitted by August.  We have submitted two of these already to the Wausau School District and Gilman School District.

New Staff in 11-12

We have hired a number of new staff:

High School Special Education

Beth van der Berg (replacing Karen Lach) – Grade 10 Cross-Categorical

Paul Boettcher (replacing Oralee Dittrich) – Grade 9 Cross-Categorical

Elementary Special Education

Tasha Daniels (new teaching position) – Grade K and 1 Cross-Categorical

Meghan Jansen (replacing Mikaela Hatfield) – Sign Language Interpreter

Pre-Kindergarten

Brittany Metz (replacing Sheila Hollatz) – Pre-Kindergarten at MAES

Amanda Williams (replacing Ashlee Quilling-Wisemiller) – Pre-Kindergarten at MAES

Support Staff

Mary Houle has retired effective end of August.  District has yet to fill her position.

Title/Intervention

Jayne Haenel (replacing Karen Baka) – Math Intervention at MAES and SES

Autism Resource Team in 11-12

Autism Resource Team meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month (except September, January, and June) from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in the MAES Media Room. 

Dates are: October 5, November 2, December 7, February 1, March 7, April 4, and May 2

Purpose will be to:

1. Collaborate and support peers in delivery of services for students

2. Specific trainings or informational sessions for staff and/or parents

3. Review of evidence based practices and modules

4. Sharing of resources

5. Schedule community fun outings for students and parents

6. Start process for a Taylor County Autism Council

7. Additional work time on autism related services

Taylor County Early Childhood Sub-Committee fro 11-12

Our Taylor County Early Childhood Sub-Committee will meet on the following dates in 11-12 from 1:30 to 3:30. 

October 14

December 9

February 10

April 13

Taylor County Transition Advisory Council for 11-12

Our Taylor County Transition Advisory Council will meet on:

October 13

January 12

April 12  

We will continue to work on successful transition of students with disabilities to post-secondary opportunities, stay in compliance with transition requirements of IEP, and Reality Fair.

New this year will be planning for a Transition Night for Students with Disabilities and their Families. 

Response to Intervention Model for SLD

We have until 2013 to officially approve the Response to Intervention for Learning Disabilities Model in each of our school buildings.  I would like to plan for the implementation of this model hopefully at start of Second Semester of 11-12 for one building and at start of 12-13 for all of our school buildings.

At present we are using the significant discrepancy model between Ability (IQ score) and Achievement Level (Woodcock Johnson III score for example).  There has to be a significant discrepancy between IQ and Achievement in one of the following areas: Basic Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency, Written Expression, Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Math Calculation, and Math Reasoning.  There does not have to be a two year delay behind grade or age level peers for students to receive LD services.  

Medicaid Reimbursement Funds - Medford

We have received $213,000.00 in Medicaid reimbursement funds for the 10-11 school year which is more than anticipated.  This money will go towards supporting our special education programs, students, and staffing.  Thanks to all the staff who took time to complete the Medicaid reimbursable services such as Attendant Care, Transportation, School Nursing, OT, PT, and Speech Language. 

Preschool Planning Mini-Grant

We received $1,600 in 10-11 in funds through a Preschool Planning Mini-Grant.  They have set aside $1,500 for our district and community to use in 11-12.  The Grant Coordinator indicated she set aside money for us because of our great work in the area of early education! 

Pre-Kindergarten Position

We have offered a Pre-Kindergarten teaching position to Brittany Metz.  She has accepted the position pending board of education approval.  We are excited to add her to our returning team of pre-kindergarten teachers 

National Biology Teacher of the Year - Tracy Swedlund

Congratulations to Medford Senior High School Science Teacher Tracy Swedlund for winning the National Biology Teacher of the Year Award - Wisconsin.  Tracy will be recognized at a National Conference in California in August.  This is a well deserved recognition for Tracy as he is one of our finest people and professionals in the school district.