Updates from Special Education Programs

From a new director to a new alternate assessment, this article provides an update of current happenings in the department’s Special Education Programs. Read on to learn more.

New director named

Ann Larsen is the new director of Special Education Programs. Ann has been with the Department of Education since 2002, most recently serving as the Title III-Language Instruction for Limited English Proficiency coordinator. Prior to that, she has served as an elementary principal and CEO at a school district, and as a special education director and teacher. Ann replaces Michelle Powers.

Special Education Programs also welcomes another new staff member, Melissa Flor. Melissa is a Special Education Programs representative. Most recently, she served as a special education teacher at Andes Central School District.

Online resource now available

Special Education Programs has purchased a three-year subscription to an online reference site, called the Special Ed Connection. The resource is a comprehensive tool that provides practical suggestions and legal resources for administrators and teachers. The subscription will be provided, free of charge, to each public school and agency in the state that provides special education services.

To access the Special Ed Connection, visit the following link www.doe.sd.gov/oess/index.asp and click on the Special Ed Connection logo on the right-hand side of the page. Enter your user ID and password. Each public school district was sent two user IDs and passwords – one for administrators and one for teachers.

Special Ed Connectionhas been operational since October 2001. It is currently used by entities such as the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education Office of General Counsel, state education departments, school districts, and educational service agencies.

Alternate assessment changes

The alternate assessment for students with disabilities has undergone an extensive transformation in phase 2 of development. The most noticeable change is its new name.

Formerly called S.T.A.R.R.S., the alternate assessment will now be known as the Dakota STEP-A.

The test has been developed and aligned to the grade-level reading and math extended standards. Dakota STEP-A is intended for students with the most significant disabilities. Guidance will be available this fall to assist Individual Education Plan (IEP) teams in determining the most appropriate assessment and any implications that may result from that determination.

Later this year, the department will host a series of professional development opportunities to assist teachers in using the new extended standards to write IEPs and in providing instruction that will promote students’ access to grade-level content. Additionally, there will be training on how to assess students based on these standards and on the alternate assessment.

HOUSSE rules related to highly qualified special education teachers

The department’s Special Education Programs is writing HOUSSE rules for highly qualified special education teachers. HOUSSE stands for Highly Objective Uniform State Standards of Evaluation. The proposed rules will be presented to the Board of Education at its Sept. 19-20, 2005, meeting. The rules will be posted on our Web site after that meeting. Teachers will have until the end of the 2005-06 year to obtain highly qualified status.

Publications, forms getting updated

A new Procedural Rights brochure should be printed and available online in September. Special Education Programs also is revising the Individual Education Plan (IEP) forms, due to changes caused by the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The revised forms should be available via our Web site in September.

Stay in touch

Looking for an easy way to stay current on special education news and events? Subscribe to our Special Education Listserv. The listserv is managed by the K-12 Data Center and the Department of Education’s Special Education Programs. It’s a great tool for getting pertinent information in a timely manner. Subscription information can be found at www.k12.sd.us/Listserv/DECASpecialEd.htm 

For more information regarding any of these Special Education topics, call Special Education Programs at (605) 773-3678.