The design of Indiana's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development plan is predicated, in large part, on the philosophy of local control and distribution of responsibility for planning and implementation of personnel development activities. The rationale for this design includes:

1. the long-standing philosophy of both school and governmental units in Indiana that local control is preferable to state control;

2. one of the keystones of the quality practices concept is the provision of training provided at or near the participants' job sites;

3. the disparity of identified needs of personnel in various parts of the state due to the geographic differences, the varying philosophies of the programming and levels of sophistication in the provision of services to infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.

The Indiana Department of Education has endeavored to develop a coordinated and cohesive system for personnel development in the state. As part of that development, the Indiana Department of Education has sponsored and participated in a strategic planning process that brought together constituents from local directors of special education, teacher representatives, parents, institutions of higher education, representatives of Indiana Family and Social Services Administration the lead agency for provision of services under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school superintendents, Association for Local School Boards, and the Association for School Principals. As a result of the strategic planning process, Indiana has defined CSPD as the Comprehensive System of People Development. The strategic planning committee developed this vision as a result of the diverse public and private agency representatives that impact on the lives of infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families. It is this group who currently serves as the CSPD Advisory Committee. This committee reports to the State Advisory Council on the Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities. The Council has membership from a broadbase of constituencies, and members serve as the liaisons with their constituent groups regarding CSPD matters including assisting in the collection of needs assessment information, establishment of priorities for statewide or state level activities, evaluation of the total CSPD, and recommending future directions.

There are sixty-five (65) special education planning districts in Indiana. Each planning district is required to submit a local CSPD plan with its application for Part B pass-through funds. To assist the districts in implementing personnel development activities to meet locally identified needs, Part B SEA Discretionary Grant funds specifically earmarked for personnel development are offered to each special education planning district. The amount of money available for a given district is based on the number of identified students receiving special education services according to the most recent Child count data and varies slightly each year.

For FY 97 (School year 1996-1997), a total of $1 million was distributed for local level activities through this method. Content areas for local personnel development are not established or mandated by the Indiana Department of Education, Division of Special Education. However, each planning district's plan was required to coordinate building-level/personnel and family involvement in the development of activities. State rules mandate that a local CSPD committee be developed to review and evaluate the planning district's personnel development plan and activities. Furthermore, at the end of the Grant period, planning districts are required to submit a Final Report of the CSPD activities conducted to the Division of Special Education.

According to Article 7, the membership of the local level CSPD committee is at least:

1. a special education teacher;

2. a general education teacher;

3. a building level administrator;

4. a parent of a student with disabilities;

5. a paraeducator;

6. a related services professional; and

7. other persons who have regular contact or work with students with disabilities.

The Indiana Department of Education, Division of Special Education supports, initiates or otherwise endorses a number of personnel development projects or projects with major personnel components which address statewide needs. Statewide or state level activities are those which:

1. are designed to meet broad-based needs;

2. address issues in which statewide consistency is necessary and/or desirable;

3. address issues/needs which can be provided more effectively due to nature of the need or in terms of cost efficiency; and

4. establish model or demonstration programs which can be replicated.

CSPD Productions from the Indiana Department of Education, Division of Special Education:

VIDEO TITLE	DATE	CONTENT
Article 7 - Overview	7-8 January 1992	An introduction and/or overview of Indiana's governing rules for special education.
Transition/On-going Adult Services	11 February 1992	An overview of Rule 13(4) of Article 7: Transition and Ongoing Adult Services [preparing special education students for life in the adult world].
Evaluation/Eligibility/Case Conference/Annual Case Review/Individualized Education Program	10 March 1992	An overview of Rules 10(3), 11, and 12(1) of Article 7 - rules for determining eligibility and services for special education students.
Least Restrictive Environment/Program Options/Teacher Certification/Related Services/Early Childhood	14 April 1992	An overview of Rules 12(2)-(5) and 13(1)-(3) and (5) - rules for determining programs and placement options for special education students.
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development/General Education Intervention	12 May, 1992	An overview of Rules 5(3) and 10(2) of Article 7 - rules for training of personnel for delivery of special education services and discussion of procedures for assisting general education teachers in working on keeping students out of the special education referral process via general education intervention.
Due Process Procedures/Child count	9 June 1992	An overview of Rules 15 and 16 of Article 7 - rules governing the rights of parent, student, and school.
Due Process Hearings: Reminders, Remedies and Ruminations	26 August 1992	A discussion of how to initiate a due process hearing, the procedures followed during one, and the implications of the results of a hearing.
Legal Implications regarding Vocational Education	29 September 1992	A discussion of the pre-referral process (General Education Intervention), Suspension/Expulsion procedures, and the individualized transition plan ("ITP").
Inclusive Schools - A Panel Discussion	8 October 1992	Various schools in our State have implemented an inclusionary program. This was a panel composed of persons from some of those districts discussing the process, tips and suggestions, etc.
The General Education Teacher: Roles and Responsibilities for Special Education Students	12 November 1992	A discussion of the multi-disciplinary evaluation process for assessing students for possible special education services and the case conference committee process.
Collaboration: What it is and how to implement it in your school	10 December 1992	An overview of collaboration - what it is and what it isn't followed by a panel discussion from teachers who are using a collaborative teaching approach in their building.
Writing Effective individualized education programs ("IEPs")	19 January 1993	A discussion of a sample IEP form and how to use this form to tailor special education services to meet the needs of the individual student.
Legal Issues in Education	11 February 1993	A discussion of the school's responsibility for the student's learning process and educational placement issues.
Principles of Behavior Management	11 March 1993	A presentation and discussion of various theories and behavior management strategies.
Principles of Application of Behavior Management	1 April 1993	The theories and strategies discussed on March 11, 1993 are expanded and replicated in actual interventions.
Principles of Application of Behavior Management in Specific Environments	13 May 1993	Interventions of behavior management are applied to specific educational settings.
A Model for Preschool Transition	14 May 1993	A presentation on how to develop a program for a student identified as needing special education services and ensure its implementation prior to the student's third birthday.
Legal Issues in Education: the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ("Section 504")	9 September 1993	A discussion of these two (2) pieces of Federal legislation and their implications for educators.
Preschool Service Delivery	14 October 1993	A presentation on identifying and providing special education services for students ages 3-5.
Attention Deficit Disorder ("ADD") and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ("ADHD")	11 November 1993	A presentation on working with students who have been diagnosed as having ADD and/or ADHD.
Traumatic Brain Injury ("TBI")	9 December 1993	A presentation on what TBI is, how to work with individuals who have a TBI, and a medical discussion designed to provide a basic understanding for service providers.
Medically Fragile Students	13 January 1994	A presentation on what constitutes the label "Medically Fragile" and how to work with students who have been identified as same.
A Good Start to a New School Year	14 April 1994	A panel presentation on tips and suggestions for getting organized and having the school year start off successfully.
Legal Issues In Special Education	12 May 1994	A discussion on Search and Seizure and when schools do and do not have the right to search lockers, desks, and students themselves.
Leisure Activities and Integrated Sports	1 November 1994	A discussion with the Indiana Special Olympics and the Indy Parks and Recreation Department on integrating individuals with disabilities with non-disabled peers in sports and leisure activities.
Educational Portfolios	10 January 1995	A discussion of Indiana legislation regarding educational portfolios, what it is, when it must be implemented by, and its implications for special education students.
A Guide to WrapAround Services	28 February 1995	A discussion of a WrapAround services manual and guidebook developed in cooperation with the child services coordinators employed throughout our State.
The Care Coordination Manual - A Discussion of its Use	27 April 1995	A discussion of the Care Coordination Manual developed by the Child Service Coordinators
Historical Perspective: Special Education Services in Indiana	7 June 1995	An historical overview of how special education services in Indiana have progressed since the initial passage of the Education for the Handicapped Act ("EHA")back in 1992 to present date.
Evans vs. Evans - An Outline of the Decision	20 June 1995	A discussion of how the Evans vs. Evans decision will effect schools throughout Indiana.
A Guide to the WrapAround Services Application	20 June 1995	This discussion highlights the procedures for applying for Alternative Services for students.
Adaptive Physical Education ("APE")	16 August 1995	Techniques for adapting various every-day activities to ensure students with disabilities are able to access and actively participate on parity with their peers.
Functional Literacy Assessment of the Blind	18 March 1996	Discussion of the Functional Literacy Assessment Guidelines approved by the State Board of Education for a one-year field study during the 1996/97 school year.
Functional Triennial Evaluations	July 1996	A discussion regarding functional assessments of students vs. merely administering the WISC-R every three years.
The Juvenile Justice System and Education of Special Education Pupils- Finding the Fit	October 1996	A discussion of how students in Correctional Facilities and Detention Centers can be served to ensure FAPE is provided.
Indiana Designs for Educating All Students ("IDEAS")	November 1996	A 13-video series with handouts outlining collaboration and methods for providing special education services within the general education setting.

Each Special Education Planning District and University Training Program in Indiana is sent a copy of the CSPD videos as they are released. The videos are for their respective libraries and are available for personnel, families, and potential teachers to view. Additional copies are housed at the Indiana Educational Resource Center ("IERC") and are available on loan to constituents throughout Indiana. The IERC's may be contact at 317-232-0587 or 1-800-833-2198.

This web-site will continue to update training activities which have occurred through the Part B Discretionary Grant projects described above. If you would like further information on state-wide CSPD Activities, please contact Sharon Knoth, CSPD/Communications Coordinator for the Division of Special Education at <knoths@speced.state.in.us>.