DIVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
Telephone: 317-232-0570
Facsimile: 317-232-0589
e-mail: rmarra@doe.in.gov

Meeting of the State Advisory Council on Students with Special Needs

January 22, 1999
Embassy Suites, North
Indianapolis, Indiana

In Attendance
Robert Marra, David Schmidt, Mary Ramos, Jeanine Calabria, Elaine Scaife, Kathy Wodicka, Julie Swaim, Janet Corson, Deborah Winchester, Marcia Johnson, Brett Bollinger, Ed Kasamis, and Cathlene Hardy-Hansen. Maureen Greer and Jackie Pitman joined the Council for the afternoon session.

Others in Attendance: Gary Collings, ISEAS Project

Division Staff Members in Attendance: Steve Stafford, Becky Bowman, Sharon Knoth, Cindy Conway, and Sally Cook.

Interpreters: Lisa Moster and Jayne Kercheval.

Members Absent:
Liam Grimley, Becky Kirk, Rose Black and Carolyn Heier

The meeting was called to order at 9:06 a.m. Mrs. Wodicka asked that members re-introduce themselves to one-another.

Mrs. Wodicka called for approval of the minutes of the September 18, 1998 meeting. Mr. Schmidt moved to approved. Motion carried.

Division Report
IDEA/Article 7 Update
Mr. Marra updated the Council on where the IDEA regulations are. At this time we are being told that the final regulations will be available sometime during the middle of February. As soon as the Division receives them, we will forward them on to the Council. A discussion of how the Division should go about revising Article 7 ensued. Mr. Marra doesn't want to release a "discussion version" of the re-write in the summer when many individuals will be on vacation, which means we will be well into September before our initial public hearing (provided the Federal Government truly gets the final regulations out in February). Dr. Kasamis questioned whether we shouldn't wait until our March 19, 1999 meeting to decide what the Council would like to see as a timeline for the Division's revision of Article 7. The results of the Age of Majority Survey was very mixed - we aren't any further along on this issue than we were prior to surveying the field. Discipline, progress reports, preschool class size, and age of majority, are all issues which need to be looked at carefully. Mr. Schmidt indicated that he is very comfortable with the pre-planning document the Division drafted and shared with the Council last year. Dr. Kasamis asked whether the last Legislative Session resulted in any conflicts in language for the revision. Mr. Marra indicated that not last year, but this year House Bill 1050 proposed a "sticker" for a diploma for those students who take ISTEP+ - basically making the requirement for ISTEP+ moot - and making it optional. How does IDEA's language requiring students with disabilities to be a part of a state-mandated assessment mesh with the language now making our state's assessment optional? The issue of how reports will be issued for students with language minority and students with disabilities from ISTEP+ were discussed. Dr. Kasamis moved that the Council be provided with a report depicting the number of students who take Grades 3, 6, 8 and 10 of ISTEP+ with accommodations, without accommodations and diagnostically compared to each school corporation's December 1 ChildCount data (so the Council can see where all students with disabilities are with regard to the taking of the ISTEP+ assessment). Seconded by Mrs. Swaim. Motion carried.

December 1 ChildCount
Mr. Marra shared the December 1, 1998 ChildCount data with the Council which also included projections from last year. This is a duplicated count since it is the state count. Dr. Kasamis moved to have the Council congratulate the Division for the timeliness and expediency of this report. Seconded by Mr. Schmidt. Motion carried. Mr. Marra indicated that by the next Council meeting we should have the 1998 Statistical Report available for the Council. Indiana was at 10.9% last year where the National incidence level was 10.1% - whereas Massachusetts was at 21% (but they have a developmental delay definition for all age levels). Mrs. Calabria asked whether the Division could provide the Council with information on the 3,000 private school students - by exceptionality area. Mr. Marra indicated he believes he can get that information for the Council.

Extra Information
Mrs. Wodicka requested that Mr. Marra extend our congratulations and good bye to Mrs. Lynn Holdheide. The Council appreciates all of her work and wishes her the best in Illinois.

Mrs. Wodicka expressed the Council's appreciation for his presentation to the University Forum. The Forum wrote a very nice letter to Dr. Suellen Reed commending Mr. Marra's skillful presentation and Mrs. Wodicka concurred with the letter's content.

Continuous Improvement Monitoring Update
Mr. Marra provided the Council an overview of how the Division will be conducting program review monitoring of special education planning districts this year. The Federal government has not selected Indiana as one of the states to be monitored this year. Mr. Marra will keep the Council informed as to when our next monitoring visit will occur. Dr. Bollinger spoke to the Council about his district's upcoming visit (February 4, 1999). The process addresses nine (9) topical areas. The process is more procedural in his opinion, than outcome-oriented per se. It is a process of ensuring that each "blank" gets filled in and each "box" gets checked. He is hopeful that this process will bring districts "up to speed" procedurally, and then will later become more outcome-oriented and pro-active in nature.

Assessment Update
Mr. Stafford shared information with the Council regarding the Alternate Assessment. There are three (3) primary committees: Assessment Task Force, Curriculum Alignment Focus Group, and the IASEP Implementation Team. Mrs. Swaim entered into a discussion of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs). This Assessment does not include FBAs. Dr. Kasamis asked where LD students were in this Assessment. The IASEP Sites do not currently have any LD students taking the IASEP (though there are more and more of the "Gap Kids" falling into the potential use of this Assessment). Dr. Bollinger asked whether, in respect to the earlier motion from Dr. Kasamis requesting data on ISTEP+, shouldn't we also be looking at the number of students who are taking the IASEP as well? Mr. Marra indicated that for those districts who are using the IASEP, the data report he prepares for the Council will reflect that as well.

Restructuring of Cooperatives and Upcoming Meetings
February 19, March 19, April 16, and May 21 are the next "scheduled" Advisory Council Meetings.

North Montgomery still wishes to remove itself from the West Central Indiana Special Education Cooperative. The Greater Randolph Interlocal and Liberty-Perry (from the Delaware-Blackford) wish to merge. We will have both of these re-structuring proposals coming before the Council. We have tentatively scheduled them to come before the Council at the March 19 meeting. In order for this to occur, we need to know what the Council would like to know before hand. Dr. Kasamis indicated he wants to see the data for those districts who will be remaining - what does that do to the Coop once they leave? He would like to see it for both Delaware-Blackford (what would remain once Liberty-Perry pulls out) and then also what would West Central Indiana look like once North Montgomery pulls out. The Council would also like to see each "proposed merged district's" plan of implementation.

Mrs. Wodicka indicated that generally, the Council will meet to discuss the proposal after having heard the district's presentation (and having had the opportunity to ask questions). Mrs. Cook indicated to the Council that she has been working with both of the proposals and they have been informed that they will potentially come before the Council at the March meeting. A discussion of parental surveys ensued. Mr. Marra would not be available for the a.m. of the February meeting, but he would be available for the p.m. Dr. Kasamis moved that the February meeting be eliminated, that materials be sent to the Council before the date of March 12, that the Council hear the presentations from the districts in the a.m. of the March 19 meeting, and then the Council will deliberate and potentially vote in the p.m. of the March 19 meeting. Seconded by Mrs. Swaim. Motion carried.

Part C Discussion
Mrs. Greer indicated that they don't have final regulations, they have interim final regulations (received in April 1998).

Mr. Schmidt moved that the meeting be adjourned. Seconded by Dr. Kasamis. Meeting adjourned at 1:20 p.m.