In This Issue:
Message from OSEP Director,
Ms. Valerie C. Williams
Dear Stakeholders!
Welcome to March! There are three really big events this month: The start of the Winter Paralympics, the NCAA March Madness Tournament (even though my Golden Bears are unlikely to be invited to the tournament) and most importantly the Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting’s IDEA Fiscal Forum. The Fiscal Forum tips off with the Part C conference on March 14th and the Part B forum starts on March 21st. Information about the forums can be found at https://cifr.wested.org/event/idea-fiscal-forum-2022/.
If children with disabilities were a college basketball team would they get an NCAA invitation? I’m relatively sure they would be on the sidelines and receive a pep talk about next year—which would be the same pep talk they’ve been given for 20 years. The long-term trends in the NAEP performance reports show that students with disabilities have not scored any higher in the NAEP since students with disabilities were first included in the NAEP in 2004. Indicator 3 data in the SPP/APR in the 2021 Part B FFY 2019 SPP/APR Indicator Analysis Booklet show virtually no change in reading or math proficiency in Indicator B3C between the February 1, 2016 SPP/APR submission and the February 1, 2020 SPP/APR submission. The data shows that average State proficiency rate for children with disabilities is less than 20% in State reading or math assessments. For Part C, the Infant and Toddler Outcomes in Indicator C3 shows a six-year downward trend in all three outcomes for infants and toddlers (i.e. Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships); Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication); and Use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs).
At the Fiscal Forum I’m looking forward to learning how you are “Advancing Resilience, Recovery, and Opportunity” for our children with disabilities and how CARES/CRRSSA and ARP Act funds are being used to improve outcomes for our children. The stakes are too high to let this moment pass us by.
In solidarity,
Valerie
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Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Upcoming Webinar: Research for Practice
The Center for Research Use at the University of Delaware, supported by the Department’s Institute of Education Sciences, is offering virtual session on Research for Practice. The session is designed for principals, assistant principals, teachers, instructional coaches, curriculum directors, district research leaders, assistant superintendents, and professional development coaches. The following session will be held Thursday, March 10th, from 7:00–8:00 p.m. Eastern:
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Taking Action as an Evidence-Informed Educator, with Dr. Elizabeth Farley-Ripple, Dr. Samantha Shewchuk, & Debbie Micklos
For more information, visit this link. We strongly encourage you to share this with your regional networks.
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Culturally Responsive Practice as a Strategy for Diversifying the Educator Workforce
The National Comprehensive Center invites states and local education leaders to join a Town Hall on Tuesday, March 15th at 3:00 pm ET featuring renowned researcher and educator Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings on the importance of culturally responsive pedagogy, practices, and culture in recruiting, preparing, retaining, and supporting a racially diverse educator workforce. Dr. Ladson-Billings will moderate conversations with a panel of youth of color who will share their experiences and insights to illuminate our understanding of the importance of having racially diverse educators. Audience members will have an opportunity to participate in this moderated session. To register, click here. Click here to view the town hall agenda. For more information, contact: Carol Keirstead at ckeirstead@rmcres.com.
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Faith Without Works is Dead Part II: Exploring the Role of Faith in Equity and Justice-Centered Work
Join Region III EAC on Thursday, March 24, 2022, from 3:30 pm–4:30 pm EST for a Virtual Roundtable. In Fall 2021, the Center discussed the intersection of their faith tradition and community-engaged and justice center work with five Black women. During this Virtual Roundtable, the Center will continue this critical discussion with returning and newly invited panelists. To attend, click here.
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Leadership and Project Directors’ Conference
 Get ready! The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) will be holding its virtual Leadership and Project Directors’ Conference during the week of July 18, 2022.
Registration for the conference is open. Refer to the conference audience lists below to see who should attend. Whether planning to attend or present (or both!), everyone should register.
Register HERE!
Check the Leadership and Project Directors’ Conference website for additional information and conference updates
Next TA Calls:
Please join us for the first March OSEP National TA Call on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 4:00pm (EDT). OSEP has developed a voluntary Child Find Self-Assessment (CFSA) as a tool for States and local educational agencies (LEAs) to assess their Child Find system under Section 619 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The 619 CFSA tool supports State and local programs in determining their Child Find system’s effectiveness to identify and locate all children ages three through five who have disabilities or are suspected of having disabilities who are served under their State’s Part B system. States and LEAs can utilize the CFSA as a monitoring tool to ensure they have met the regulatory components of a comprehensive Child Find system, and as an information tool to assist with implementing best practices for Child Find.
OSEP will hold a second National TA Call on DMS 2.0 on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 4:00pm (EDT). As part of the Universal TA OSEP is providing for DMS 2.0, we intend to host monthly DMS National TA calls to provide guidance on specific components of general supervision in coordination with our monitoring activities, or other guidance related to DMS 2.0.
General Overview
- The goal of DMS 2.0 is to improve outcomes and results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families in conjunction with compliance.
- Our monitoring will focus on States’ systems of general supervision integrating both results and compliance
- These activities are organized around the 8 components of general supervision:
OSEP is using various protocols in our monitoring activities, but encourage all States to use them as resources and self-assessments as appropriate. DMS 2.0 monthly TA calls will cover content, best practices and guidance for all State’s on the completion of the various protocols, expectations and address any questions.
Previous TA Calls:
February 10, 2022 at 4:00-5:00pm (EDT) — Grant Applications (unfortunately, the recording is not available for this call, but the presentation materials have been posted)
February 24, 2022 at 4:00-5:00pm (EDT) — DMS
(All National TA calls are recorded and typically posted within a week)
State Performance Plans / Annual Performance Reports (APRs)
We are in the process of reviewing SPP/APR submissions in preparation for the clarification period in April. The first OSEP National TA Call, on Thursday, April 14, 2022, will feature the clarification process.
IDEA Part B/C Grants
You may have noticed that there is no recording available from the last OSEP National TA Call on the 2022 Grant Applications (held February 10, 2022). Unfortunately, there was a technical glitch in the system, and we are unable to retrieve the recording file. However, the PowerPoint is available and if you have any questions regarding this year’s submission, please reach out to your OSEP State Lead.
Additionally, we are still under a continuing resolution. Please continue to prepare to post your grant applications using FFY 2021 allocation information to fulfill your public participation requirements. Again, as a reminder:
- Part C applications need to be posted no later than March 13, 2022, and are due to OSEP on May 13, 2022.
- Part B applications need to be posted no later than March 27, 2022, and are due to OSEP on May 27, 2022.
Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS)
OSEP’s next Technical Assistance (TA) Call on DMS is scheduled for March 24, 2022, and will continue our review the Dispute Resolution Protocols, specifically for this month a review of the Due Process and Mediation protocols. The call will provide a walkthrough of the overarching questions and previous findings made related to Dispute Resolution. Please check the OSEP Monthly TA Call page to register for the monthly calls, review previously recorded calls and information, and access the TA Call schedule.
To review other resources and documents related to our monitoring activities (e.g., DMS 2.0, DMS Reports, and older monitoring reports), please refer to the DMS section on our IDEA website.
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Dose of Data: Did you Know?
From 2009 to 2019, the percentages of students with disabilities scoring at or above basic on the NAEP assessments decreased:
- By 12 percentage points for 4th grade mathematics;
- By 6 percentage point for 8th grade mathematics;
- By 6 percentage point for 4th grade reading; and
- By 2 percentage points for 8th grade reading.
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 NOTE: The category "students with disabilities" includes students identified as having an Individualized Education Program (IEP) but excludes those identified under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 Mathematics and Reading Assessments. Accessed 3/3/2022 from NAEP Data Explorer: NDE Core Web (nationsreportcard.gov)
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Research Highlights from the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER)
The Institute for Education Science’s NCSER funds research designed to expand knowledge and understanding of learners with and at risk for disabilities, from infancy through postsecondary settings. We share reports below on issues, findings, and events related to special education.
Supporting Bilingual Learners in Early Childhood features Dr. Xigrid Soto-Boykin’s reflections on how her personal experiences have shaped her career and her work to address equity and inclusion for young, bilingual Latinx children with and without disabilities.
Career and Technical Education in STEM for Students with Learning Disabilities: Research Updates and Implications recognizes CTE Month® with an interview with Dr. Michael Gottfried, who discusses his research on students with learning disabilities participating in STEM CTE courses and the policy and practice implications of his work.
IES-Funded Researchers Recognized with 2022 CEC Awards offers congratulations to Drs. Kathleen Lane, Robin Ennis, and Charles “Skip” MacArthur on their various CEC awards that honor their contributions to special education research.
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Design for Each and Every Learner: Universal Design for Learning Modules
Designing inclusive instruction takes intentional planning and collaboration. The TIES Center is proud to release a set of learning modules developed by CAST, TIES and the Lake Washington School District in Washington. The modules help educators learn more about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST. The modules support educators to design learning experiences that are inclusive for each and every learner. Specific examples illustrate how instruction can be designed to be inclusive of students with significant cognitive disabilities.
The modules are fully asynchronous. Educators can progress through them at their own pace. Users can skip what they already know, review and revisit materials as is helpful, and share with their professional learning team. We hope these modules help to build collaboration to meet the needs of all students as educators pursue rigorous learning goals and instruction that reflects high expectations. Check out the accompanying facilitator’s guide as well!
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New Report on Students Who Are Deaf-Blind
Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities and Dual Sensory Loss is an extensive report that describes characteristics of the population of school-age students who are deaf-blind and have significant cognitive disabilities. It includes data on the prevalence deaf-blindness and information about communication and academic skills. It also covers characteristics of students with cortical visual impairment (CVI), a condition that affects many students who are deaf-blind. The report is the result of a collaboration between the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) and Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS).
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Department of Education
Check the Department's COVID-19 Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel web page for information and resources, including information and resources from other Federal agencies.
OSEP’s IDEA Covid-19 Questions and Answers and Resources
The National Center for Systemic Improvement is the primary source for TA resources during the COVID-19 national emergency for IDEA Part B programs. The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center is the primary source for IDEA Part C programs.
Visit the OSERS Blog
Visit our blog for powerful stories and useful information from parents, families, educators, and practitioners in the field. Be sure to bookmark sites.ed.gov/osers for future posts!
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If you have questions or comments, please send them to josiah.willey@ed.gov.
This newsletter may reference and contain links to external sources. The opinions expressed in these sources do not reflect the views, positions, or policies of the Department Education, nor should their inclusion be considered an endorsement of any private organization.
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