Special Education
. . . a service, not a place.
Tenth Annual Report of
Special Education Services
in Washington State
March 2003
Tenth Annual Report of
Special Education Services
in Washington State
Dr. Terry Bergeson
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Bob Harmon
Assistant Superintendent
Special Programs
Douglas H. Gill, Ed.D.
Director
Special Education Operations
Sandy Grummick
Program Specialist, Data Management
This is a publication of Special Education, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
(OSPI), and developed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
federal grant.
This material is available in alternative format upon request. Contact Special Education,
360-725-6075, TTY 360-586-0126, or speced@ospi.wednet.edu. The OSPI complies
with all federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or marital status.
March 2003
Table of Contents
Note ...................................................................................................... 1
Commonly Used Terms ........................................................................ 1
Note from the Director of Special Education ......................................... 3
Special Education Advisory Council...................................................... 5
SEAC Goals and Activities/Topical Goal Areas .................................... 7
SEAC Membership and Associations Represented .............................. 9
OSPI Special Education Staff ............................................................. 11
Educational Service Districts .............................................................. 13
OSPI Special Education Goals, Objectives,
and Performance Indicators ......................................................... 17
Brief History of Special Education ....................................................... 33
Definitions ........................................................................................... 35
Disability Categories ........................................................................... 39
Students Served ................................................................................. 43
Service Delivery Options ..................................................................... 59
Special Education Personnel .............................................................. 63
Special Education Funding ................................................................. 65
Reform Efforts and Special Education within Washington State ......... 71
Inclusion Project ................................................................................. 73
State Needs Projects .......................................................................... 75
Additional Projects and Activities ........................................................ 81
Products Available .............................................................................. 83
Note
Data sources are provided throughout this report. When using the data, please examine
the source(s) provided before analyzing and reporting on this information.
Commonly Used Terms
Following is a list of acronyms that may be used throughout this document or you may
find in other reading materials published by this office.
504 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
619 Section 619 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
ADD/ADHD attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
CASE Council for Administrators of Special Education
CD communication disorders/communication disordered
CDS communication disorders specialist
CEC Council for Exceptional Children
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CSPD comprehensive system of personnel development
DD developmentally delayed/preschool developmentally disabled
DDC Developmental Disabilities Council
DSHS Department of Social and Health Services
DVR Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
EBD emotionally/behaviorally disabled
EDGAR Education Department General Administrative Regulations
EHA Education for Handicapped Act
ESD educational service district
ESHB Engrossed Substitute House Bill
FAPE free appropriate public education
FEPP Family Educator Partnership Project
FTE full-time equivalent
GEPA General Education Provisions Act
ICC interagency coordinating council
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEE Independent Educational Evaluation
IEP individualized education program
IFSP individualized family services plan
IHE institution of higher education
ITEIP Infants and Toddlers Early Intervention Program
JRA Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration
LD/SLD learning disability/specific learning disability
1
LEA local educational agency
LEP limited English proficient
LRE least restrictive environment
MAA Medical Assistance Administration
MOESR maintenance of effort state revenue
MR mental retardation
NASDSE National Association of School Directors of Special Education
NECTAS National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System
OCR Office for Civil Rights
OFM Office of Financial Management
OSEP Office of Special Education Programs
OSERS Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
OSPI Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
OT occupational therapist
PAVE Training for Parents of Children in Special Education
PT physical therapist
RCW Revised Code of Washington
RFP request for proposals
RRC regional resource center
RSVP Recruitment/Retention System for Vital Personnel in
Washington State
SEA state educational agency
SEAC Special Education Advisory Council
SETC Special Education Technology Center
SLP speech-language pathologist
SOP state-operated program
TBI traumatic brain injury
WAC Washington Administrative Code
WAEYC/NAEYC Washington/National Association for the Education of Young
Children
WAAS Washington Alternate Assessment System
WASL Washington Assessment of Student Learning
WEA Washington Education Association
WEdNet Washington Education Network
WSD Washington School for the Deaf
WSSB Washington State School for the Blind
2
Note From the Director of Special Education
Operations
The special education operations section of the Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction (OSPI) is pleased to present the Tenth Annual Report of Special Education
Services in Washington State. The report is designed to present relevant demographic
and program data on the provision of special education services to eligible students in
our state. I hope the information contained in this report will be useful to you.
The importance of relevant demographic and program data cannot be overstated.
Program decisions in special education must be data-driven to enable us to adequately
respond to the accountability concerns inherent in No Child Left Behind and other
important federal and state legislation. If we are to succeed in our special education
mission, we must be in a position to measure our successes, and adjust our practices
when necessary. I sincerely hope you will use the data in this report to both answer and
ask thoughtful questions about the provision of special education services.
On behalf of the staff in the special education operations section here at OSPI, thank you
very much for your interest and continued commitment and support for special
education. Please visit our Web site at http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed for continually
updated information, or contact us at speced@ospi.wednet.edu, 360-725-6075 or
TTY 360-586-0126.
Douglas H. Gill, Director
Special Education Operations
3
4
Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC)
Guidelines for the Special Education Advisory Council are established in WAC 392-172-
500. The WAC describes membership, purpose, authority, procedures, and guidelines of
the SEAC. The purposes of the council are to:
Advise the superintendent of public instruction and make recommendations on all
matters related to special education and specifically advise the superintendent of
unmet needs within the state in the education of special education students including
personnel needs as addressed in the state’s comprehensive system of personnel
development;
Comment publicly on any rules or regulations proposed by the state regarding the
education of special education students;
Assist the state in developing and reporting such information and evaluations as may
assist the federal government;
Advise the state in developing corrective action plans to address findings identified in
federal monitoring reports under Part B of IDEA;
Advise the state in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination
of services for special education students; and
Advise the state on the education of eligible special education students who have
been convicted as adults and incarcerated in adult prisons.
Following is a portion of this Washington Administrative Code (WAC) describing
purpose and membership.
WAC 392-172-500 Advisory council. (1) The special education state advisory
council is established in order to help facilitate the provision of special education and
related services to meet the unique needs of special education students.
(2) The membership of the council shall include at least one representative of
each of the following groups or entities:
(a) Individuals with disabilities;
(b) Teachers;
(c) Parents of special education students;
(d) Local administrators of special education programs;
(e) Support services personnel;
(f) Superintendents;
(g) Principals;
(h) Nonpublic schools serving special education students;
(i) School directors;
(j) Institutions of higher education that prepare special education and related
services personnel;
(k) State agencies involved in the financing or delivery of related services to
special education students;
5
(l) Vocational, community, or business organization concerned with the
provision of transition services to special education students;
(m) State juvenile and adult corrections agencies;
(n) Other individuals or groups as may hereafter be designated and approved
by the superintendent of public instruction. A majority of the members of
the advisory council shall be individuals with disabilities or parents of
special education students.
6
SEAC Activities 2001–02
The State SEAC is established in order to help facilitate the provision of special
education and related services to meet the unique needs of special education students.
The activities and recommendations of the council are hereby submitted in this annual
report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This report is for the 2001-2002
academic year.
Council recommendations during the 2001-2002 academic year included:
Letter to Superintendent Bergeson requesting that SEAC be provided the
opportunity for inclusion in any proposed changes respecting the reorganization of
Special Education at OSPI. This would allow the council to adhere to the charge of
providing meaningful input and advice.
Letter to Superintendent Bergeson encouraging OSPI to hire the three regional
coordinators and move forward on the State Improvement Grant.
The Council recommended that SEAC members receive a copy of budgetary
allocations for the State Needs Projects (see page 75 for detailed information on each
State Needs Project).
Other SEAC activities for the 2001-2002 academic year include:
Presentation of the Marty Gentili Award: The award was presented to Renee Nowak
during a reception in her honor. Renee’s lifework has been to advocate for individuals
with special needs.
Public Hearing on Special Education Rules and Regulations.
The council provided input to Dr. Doug Gill, OSPI Director of Special Education
Operations, regarding the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education.
Dr. Gill was appointed by President Bush to serve on the commission in October of
2001.
In collaboration with Superintendent Bergeson, the council participated in a facilitated
retreat activity focusing on improving communication with OSPI. Specifically, Dr.
Bergeson is looking to the council for a deeper understanding of what is and is not
working in special education.
SEAC Bylaws were amended to incorporate legal requirements and clarify duties.
The Communication Subcommittee developed a SEAC brochure to be used as a handout
for organizations, conferences, meetings and parent information packets.
7
Council subcommittees:
JLARC: subcommittee created to work with JLARC to study linkage between
compliance and quality indicators.
Equity Issues: subcommittee created to review a variety of sources of information and
identify potential equity issues.
OSPI Communications: subcommittee created to develop a process for advising OSPI.
Nominations: subcommittee created to develop slate of council officers for the 2001-
2002 academic year.
Communications: subcommittee created to develop a draft brochure describing SEAC.
Orientation: subcommittee created to act as mentors to any potential new members
during the 2001-2002 academic year.
8
SEAC Membership and Associations
Represented
A majority (at least 51%) of the members of the Washington State SEAC shall be
individuals with disabilities, or parents of children with disabilities, as defined in the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The council shall consist of members appointed by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction who are representative of the state population, and are involved in, or
concerned with, the education of children with disabilities.
Staff from the OSPI Special Education section are assigned to provide technical
assistance to SEAC in order to enhance the Council’s ability to execute its
responsibilities.
Member Name Association Represented
Atkinson, Chuck Association for Trainers of Special Education
Personnel
Avila, Julie Ann Member At-large
Buell, Renee Member At-large
Coleman-Lacadie, Connie Washington State School Directors’ Association
Dickey, Rita DSHS Division of Developmental Disabilities
Dineen, Susan Washington Association of School
Administrators—Special Education Component
Goin, Anita, Vice Chair The Arc of Washington State
Gonzalez, Janet At-large
Hanna, Joni Washington Federation of Independent Schools
Hebdon, Heather Parent Training Institute
Jones, Christi Member At-large
Kincanon, Eric Member At-large
Lundh, Susan Member At-large
Maguire, Debbie Washington State PTA
Mann, Gary Washington PAVE—Training for Parents of
Children in Special Education
McNeil, Katherine Member At-large
Monier, Karen Learning Disabilities Association
Moore, Marsha Member At-large
Morehouse, Lance Family Educator Partnership Project
Nourse, Steve Member At-large
Nowak, Renee Member At-large
Perkins, Christie Special Education Coalition
Revell, Pat School Nurse Organization of Washington
Richardson, Michael Member At-large
Sande, Kathleen Department of Corrections
9
Member Name Association Represented
Seifert, Ron Member At-large
Small, Ben Association of Washington School Principals
Swartz, Gayle, Chair Council for Exceptional Children
Thomas, Lorie Member At-large
Tolan, Nancy Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Tompkins, Barbara Washington Education Association
Waybright, Ann WA Educational Staff Associates
Williamson, Julie Developmental Disabilities Council
Woodsum, Karen Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Program
Vacant WEA General Education Component
Vacant DSHS Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration
Ex-Officio
McAuliffe, Senator Rosemary Washington State Senate
OSPI Staff Member
Harmon, Bob Assistant Superintendent, OSPI Special Programs
Gill, Doug OSPI Director of Special Education Operations
Bartlett, Kathy OSPI Director of Special Education Learning
Improvement
Johnson, Helen OSPI Administrative Assistant for Special
Education and SEAC Executive Secretary
10
OSPI Special Education Staff
Phone: 360-725-6075 TTY: 360-586-0126 Fax: 360-586-0247
All phone numbers listed below are in the 360 area code unless otherwise noted.
E-mail: speced@ospi.wednet.edu
Web site: http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed
Note: Internet addresses are the names in parentheses plus @ospi.wednet.edu
Mary Alice Heuschel (mheuschel), Deputy Superintendent, Learning and
Teaching ................................................................................... 725-6115
Bob Harmon (rhharmon), Assistant Superintendent,
Special Programs……………………………………………………….......... 725-6170
SPECIAL EDUCATION OPERATIONS
Dr. Douglas H. Gill (dgill), Director .................................................................... 725-6075
Helen Johnson (hjohnson), Administrative Assistant ....................................... 725-6075
Compliance Resolution
Coordination of activities related to: mediation, citizen complaints, due process
hearings, interagency agreements, (including Autism Outreach Project and
Washington Sensory Disabilities Services), rules and regulations, non-public agency
approval, and policy guidance.
Pamela McPartland (pmcpartland), Esq., Program Supervisor ......................... 725-6075
TBN, Program Supervisor ................................................................................... 725-6075
Dr. Mary-Louise Colwell (mcolwell) .................................................................. 725-6075
Tonya Middling (tmiddling), Program Supervisor ............................................. 725-6075
Tia Bertrand (tbertrand), Support Staff ............................................................. 725-6075
Compliance Review
Coordination of activities related to: special education component of consolidated
federal program review (pre-visit, on-site, and report development), follow-up of
corrective action plans, and technical assistance.
Mark Anderson (manderson), Program Supervisor ........................................... 725-6075
Chris Finkle (cfinkle), Program Supervisor ........................................................ 725-6075
Jennifer Story (jstory), Program Supervisor ...................................................... 725-6075
TBN Program Supervisor .................................................................................... 725-6075
Donna Wright (dwright), Support Staff .............................................................. 725-6075
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Data Management Services
Coordination of activities related to: federal report data, inter-relational data base
development, biennial performance reporting, web site maintenance, and product
development, local plan applications (WebApps), flow-through grants, budget
revisions, Medicaid reimbursement, contract development, requests for proposals
(RFPs), and Safety Net funding.
Sandy Grummick (grummick), Program Supervisor ......................................... 725-6075
Carol Nolan (cnolan), Program Supervisor ........................................................ 725-6075
Michelle Sartain (msartain), Fiscal Plans Analyst .............................................. 725-6075
Rita Lovely (rlovely), Support Staff .................................................................... 725-6075
Mickey Lahmann (mlahmann), Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and
Instruction .............................................................................. 725-6343
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROJECTS
Coordination of activities related to: program development, inclusion project,
professional development, early childhood, family partnerships,
recruitment/retention, staff development, paraeducators, state improvement
plan/grant, transition, and ESD School Improvement Agreements.
Kathy Bartlett (kbartlett), Director .................................................................... 725-6088
Karen Walker (kwalker) Program Supervisor, Early Intervention
Section 619 Coordinator ................................................................................... 725-6078
Lina Conrad (lconrad), Program Supervisor, Intermediate Grades .................. 725-6232
Susan Dixon (sdixon), Program Supervisor, Elementary Grades ...................... 725-6232
Breanne Conley (bconley), Support Staff .......................................................... 725-6080
TBN, Project Coordinator State Improvement Plan (SIP)/State Improvement Grant
(SIG) ............................................................................................................. 725-6080
Jim Ayers (jayers), Regional Coordinator .................................................. 509-963-2174
Larry Bush (lbush), Regional Coordinator ................................... 509-547-8441 ext. 203
Sandy Tossini (stossini), Regional Coordinator ......................................... 206-275-3583
Jessica Green, (jlgreen) Support Staff ................................................................ 725-6067
Greg Hall (ghall), Assistant Superintendent,
Assessment and Research........................................................ 725-6336
ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT
Nancy Arnold (narnold), Program Supervisor ................................................. 725-6068
Sabrina Camacho, (scamacho) Support Staff .................................................... 725-6089
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Educational Service Districts (ESDs)
There are nine educational service districts throughout Washington State. The services
that ESDs offer vary according to the needs of each region. The special education
department in each of the nine ESDs work in collaboration with OSPI, other
departments within the ESDs, community, and regional agencies to provide services,
training and technical assistance to all school districts in the state. The ESD Special
Education Departments work to coordinate resources and the delivery of services to
enhance program development and instruction for students with disabilities. The focus
of each ESD’s work reflects the needs of its local school districts and early childhood
agencies as identified through local needs assessments. In addition, education personnel
work collaboratively with OSPI on statewide initiatives such as the State Improvement
Grant (SIG) and the Washington Alternate Assessment System (WAAS).
Facts . . . Programs/Projects
• 296 school districts in Providing Positive
Washington State Impact on Student
• 120,974 students (3-21) in
the state of Washington Achievement
identified as requiring
―specially designed‖
instruction
• 3,151 special education
students graduated with
diplomas • Inservice assistance to school districts in the areas of:
• 278 training opportunities - IEP component classes
provided to school staff in - Behavior strategies
areas/topics focusing on - Adaptations and accommodations for special
Birth-21 special education education students
• 9,464 teachers and/or - WASL strategies for special education students
paraeducators - Reading/writing instruction
participated in training • Partner with districts in collaborative program review
opportunities preparation
• Continuing monthly connection with Local Education
Agency (LEA) directors
• Professional development series/coursework, enabling
certified teachers to earn ―temporary out-of-
endorsement‖ special education certificate
• Paraeducator Project competency training on-site and
specialized to meet the needs of requesting districts
13
Special education students • Two-day regional Local Education Agency (LEA)
who met WASL standard: Directors and Early Childhood Directors conferences
• Preschool Autism Summer Institute
Mathematics • Statewide Secondary Special Education Institute
4th 22.9% • Combined Summer Institute, with focus on transition and
7th 3.9% significant disabilities
10th 4.3% • 5-day Summer Reading Academy
Reading Priorities for 2002-03
4th 30.2% • Provide LEA directors with research-based information to
7th 8.3% develop effective programs
10th 12.6% • Assist districts to increase special education and general
education academic performance
Listening • On-going special education technical assistance
4th 46.0% • Participate in districts’ school improvement planning
7th 62.5% teams, focusing on strategies to increase student
10th 47.6% achievement
• On-going staff development in the IEP preparation
Writing process, with focus on increased relevance of the IEP
4th 18.8% document
7th 11.3% • Develop and maintain service delivery models for low
10th 9.1% incident special education children
• Provide support to LEAs with Consolidated Program
•Source: OSPI website:
http://www.k12.wa.us/edprofile/
Review (CPR) monitoring processes and follow-up
stateReport • Foster new working relationships with local and state
agencies
• Develop competent special education personnel,
increasing the pool of candidates to serve as teachers,
paraprofessionals and ESAs
• Increase affiliations with institutions of higher education
14
Educational Service Districts
Special Education Contact and OSPI Contact
Special ESD E-Mail Address ESD Location OSPI Key
Education Telephone (no spaces or Contact
Contact returns)
Molly Baasche 509-456-6320 mbaasche@ ESD 101 Mark
esd101.net W. 1025 Indiana Ave. Anderson
Spokane, WA 99205-4400
Faye Fuchs 509-575-2885 fayeff@esd105. ESD 105 Lou Colwell
wednet.edu 33 S. 2nd Ave.
Yakima, WA 98902
Dennis Mathews 360-750-7500 dennis.mathews@ ESD 112 Lou Colwell
esd112.org 2500 NE 65th Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98661-6812
Sheila Chaney 360-586-2933 schaney@ ESD 113 Tonya
esd113.k12.wa.us 601 McPhee Rd. SW Middling
Olympia, WA 98502-5080
Carol Pacheco 509-547-8441 cpacheco@esd123. ESD 123 Tonya
org 124 S. Fourth Ave. Middling
Pasco, WA 99301
Cindy Duncan 509-665-2610 cindyd@ncesd.org North Central ESD (171) Chris Finkle
PO Box 1847
Wenatchee, WA
98807-1847
John Bresko 360-424-9573 jbresko@esd189. Northwest ESD 189 Mark
org 205 Stewart Road Anderson
Mount Vernon, WA 98273-
5462
Debra Knesal 360-478-6886 dknesal@oesd.wedn Olympic ESD 114 Carol Nolan
et.edu 105 National Ave. N.
Bremerton, WA 98312
Mick Moore 206-439-3636 mmoore@psesd. Puget Sound ESD (121) Pam
wednet.edu 400 SW 152nd St. McPartland
Burien, WA 98166-2209
15
16
OSPI Special Education Goals, Objectives, and
Performance Indicators
OSPI Special Education sets goals for the school year that reflect the needs of eligible
special education students and their families and school district personnel in
Washington State as well as direction from the state legislature and Congress.
The section, as well as individual staff, set numerous goals in addition to the broad
section goals, objectives, and performance indicators listed below.
Goal: To improve educational outcomes for students receiving special
education services and their families.
In Washington State, participation is defined as any student who is not exempted by the
IEP team. Students must meet this criteria in ―Guidelines for Inclusion and
Accommodations for Special Populations on State Level Assessments‖ (see
http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/spedassessment/spedassessment.asp).
Objective 1: To improve the academic performance of students receiving
special education services.
Indicator: Increase the number and percentage of special education students who
participate in statewide academic assessments (WASL). Beginning in
2001, participation includes those students who took the WASL with or
without accommodations and those who participated in the Washington
Alternate Assessment System (WAAS) either with a commercially
available test (CAT) or by a portfolio.
4th grade special education WASL participation
1999 Washington State participation rate (Math) 91.3%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 90.8%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 92.6%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 91.1%
1999 Washington State IEP team exemption rate (Math) 8.7%
1999 Washington State IEP team exemption rate (Reading) 9.2%
1999 Washington State IEP team exemption rate (Listening) 7.4%
1999 Washington State IEP team exemption rate (Writing) 8.9%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Math) 90.2%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 89.6%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 91.1%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 89.9%
17
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 9.8%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 10.4%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 8.9%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 10.1%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Math) 99.0%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 99.6%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 98.7%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 99.5%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 1.0%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 0.4%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 1.3%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 0.5%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Math) 85.7%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 84.0%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 89.1%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 84.9%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Math) 14.3%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Reading) 16.0%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Listening) 10.9%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Writing) 18.1%
7th grade special education WASL participation
1999 Washington State participation rate (Math) 93.4%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 93.4%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 94.0%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 93.5%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 6.6%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 6.6%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 6.0%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 6.5%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Math) 92.6%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 92.6%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 93.2%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 92.4%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 7.4%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 7.4%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 6.8%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 7.6%
18
2001 Washington State participation rate (Math) 98.1%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 98.6%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 97.6%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 98.3%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 1.9%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 1.4%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 2.4%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 1.7%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Math) 88.3%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 87.7%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 90.2%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 87.8%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Math) 11.7%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Reading) 12.3%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Listening) 9.8%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Writing) 12.2%
10th grade special education WASL participation
1999 Washington State participation rate (Math) 91.9%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 92.2%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 92.0%
1999 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 92.0%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 8.1%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 7.8%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 8.0%
1999 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 8.0%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Math) 89.6%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 89.8%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 89.8%
2000 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 89.7%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 10.4%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 10.2%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 10.2%
2000 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 10.3%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Math) 96.6%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 97.2%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 96.4%
2001 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 96.9%
19
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Math) 3.4%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Reading) 2.8%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Listening) 3.6%
2001 Washington State exemption rate (Writing) 3.1%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Math) 88.3%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Reading) 88.2%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Listening) 90.5%
2002 Washington State participation rate (Writing) 88.0%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Math) 11.7%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Reading) 11.8%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Listening) 9.5%
2002 Washington State WAAS participation rate (Writing) 12.0%
Indicator: Increase the number of special education students participating in
statewide academic assessments who meet or exceed standard.
The 1999–2000 school year was the first time data for 10th grade special education
students was collected and is therefore considered baseline data.
4th grade special education WASL Participation Met or
Exceeded
Standard
1998 Washington State Listening (N = 7,129) 45.8%
1999 Washington State Listening (N = 7,763) 44.9%
2000 Washington State Listening (N = 7,842) 40.1%
2001 Washington State Listening (N = 8,983) 51.1%
2002 Washington State Listening (N = 8,798) 46.0%
1998 Washington State Reading (N = 7,021) 13.6%
1999 Washington State Reading (N = 7,448) 19.7%
2000 Washington State Reading (N = 7,558) 27.2%
2001 Washington State Reading (N = 8,367) 30.3%
2002 Washington State Reading (N = 8,184) 30.2%
1998 Washington State Writing (N = 7,040) 7.8%
1999 Washington State Writing (N = 7,230) 7.7%
2000 Washington State Writing (N = 7,392) 10.3%
2001 Washington State Writing (N = 8,217) 16.2%
2002 Washington State Writing (N = 8,068) 18.8%
20
1998 Washington State Mathematics (N = 7,035) 7.9%
1999 Washington State Mathematics (N = 7,721) 11.5%
2000 Washington State Mathematics (N = 7,737) 14.5%
2001 Washington State Mathematics (N = 8,564) 16.9%
2002 Washington State Mathematics (N = 8,394) 22.9%
7th grade special education WASL Participation Met or
Exceeded
Standard
1998 Washington State Listening (N = 6,838) 47.1%
1999 Washington State Listening (N = 7,159) 67.6%
2000 Washington State Listening (N = 7,164) 55.7%
2001 Washington State Listening (N = 7,910) 56.0%
2002 Washington State Listening (N = 8,391) 62.5%
1998 Washington State Reading (N = 6,820) 4.6%
1999 Washington State Reading (N = 7,027) 7.1%
2000 Washington State Reading (N = 7,028) 6.7%
2001 Washington State Reading (N = 7,613) 6.9%
2002 Washington State Reading (N = 8,063) 8.3%
1998 Washington State Writing (N = 6,827) 3.0%
1999 Washington State Writing (N = 6,404) 6.1%
2000 Washington State Writing (N = 6,514) 5.9%
2001 Washington State Writing (N = 7,197) 8.8%
2002 Washington State Writing (N = 7,678) 11.3%
1998 Washington State Mathematics (N = 6,785) 1.5%
1999 Washington State Mathematics (N = 7,231) 3.3%
2000 Washington State Mathematics (N = 7,180) 3.1%
2001 Washington State Mathematics (N = 7,701) 3.6%
2002 Washington State Mathematics (N = 8,107) 3.9%
10th grade special education WASL Participation Met or
Exceeded
Standard
1999 Washington State Listening (N = 4,012) 36.6%
2000 Washington State Listening (N = 4,665) 43.8%
2001 Washington State Listening (N = 5,355) 63.4%
2002 Washington State Listening (N = 5,772) 47.6%
1999 Washington State Reading (N = 3,840) 11.3%
2000 Washington State Reading (N = 4,553) 14.5%
2001 Washington State Reading (N = 5,175) 17.3%
2002 Washington State Reading (N = 5,544) 12.6%
21
1999 Washington State Writing (N = 3,463) 6.7%
2000 Washington State Writing (N = 4,059) 3.1%
2001 Washington State Writing (N = 4,637) 8.1%
2002 Washington State Writing (N = 5,096) 9.1%
1999 Washington State Mathematics (N = 4,164) 4.7%
2000 Washington State Mathematics (N = 4,745) 4.5%
2001 Washington State Mathematics (N = 5,112) 6.2%
2002 Washington State Mathematics (N = 5,558) 4.3%
Indicator: Increase the rate of special education students who leave high school with
a regular high school diploma.
1998 Washington State graduation rate 65.00%
1999 Washington State graduation rate 65.95%
2000 Washington State graduation rate 66.80%
2001 Washington State graduation rate 63.50%
Indicator: Reduce the annual drop out rate of special education students.
The 1998–99 school year was the first time data on special education graduation and
drop out rates was collected and is therefore considered baseline data. These
percentages continue to compare favorably with the 1998-99 57.4 percent graduation
rate and 28.9 percent drop out rate reported nationwide in 23rd Annual Report to
Congress.
Special education graduation and drop out rates are based on figures provided annually
to OSPI on Form P210, ―High School Enrollment Status Report.‖
Calculations based on ―Calculating Graduation and Dropout Rates: A Technical
Assistance Guide,‖ prepared for U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs by Westat, November 1998.
1998 Washington State drop out rate 27.0%
1999 Washington State drop out rate 25.46%
2000 Washington State drop out rate 26.9%
2001 Washington State drop out rate 26.8%
Indicator: Reduce the annual rate of special education students who receive
disciplinary action(s).
Special education discipline data was collected for the first time at the end of the 1999–
2000 school year. This data is therefore considered baseline.
22
Number of Special Education Students Subject to Suspension/Expulsion greater than 10
days:
1999-00 711
2000-01 738
2001-02 1,125
Percent of Special Education Students Subject to Suspension/Expulsion greater than 10
days:
1999-00 0.57%
2000-01 0.61%
2001-02 0.93%
Number of Special Education Students Subject to Multiple Short-Term Suspensions
Summing to greater than 10 days
1999-00 655
2000-01 747
2001-02 1,260
Percent of Special Education Students Subject to Multiple Short-Term Suspensions
Summing to greater than 10 days
1999-00 0.50%
2000-01 0.62%
2001-02 1.04%
Objective 2: To improve the post-school performance of special education
students.
Data for the post-school performance of special education students is collected by the
Center for Change in Transition Services. This annual survey collects information on
what former special education students are doing six months after leaving the K-12
system. Districts participate in this survey on a voluntary basis. The complete Post-
school Status Report can be found at http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/document.asp.
The latest report includes 124 school districts who volunteered to participate compared
to thirty-one school districts participating in 1998–99.
Indicator: Increase the rate of special education students who enroll in post-
secondary education programs within six months of graduation.
1998 Washington State post-secondary rate 31.0%
1999 Washington State post-secondary rate 30.0%
2000 Washington State post-secondary rate 27.6%
2001 Washington State post-secondary rate 31.0%
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Indicator: Increase the rate of special education students who are employed within
six months of graduation.
1998 Washington State employment rate 66.0%
1999 Washington State employment rate 70.0%
2000 Washington State employment rate 65.3%
2001 Washington State employment rate 59.0%
Indicator: Increase the post-secondary engagement rate (employed and/or enrolled
in a post-secondary program) within six months of graduation.
1998 Washington State engagement rate 77.0%
1999 Washington State engagement rate 81.0%
2000 Washington State engagement rate 76.8%
2001 Washington State engagement rate 74.0%
Indicator: Increase the rate of special education students who are connected with
an appropriate out-of-school agency within six months of graduation.
1998 Washington State connection rate 33.0%
1999 Washington State connection rate 53.4%
2000 Washington State connection rate 51.1%
2001 Washington State connection rate 56.0%
Objective 3: To maintain the compliance protections for special education
students and their families, and utilize results of compliance
efforts to improve programs.
In March of 2000, the on-site compliance review process was revised to reflect the
assurances made by districts in their local plan application and the results of the most
recent Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) monitoring of Washington. The
special education compliance review is now part of OSPI’s consolidated program review
(CPR); a process in which all federal programs are reviewed in a school district at the
same time. This is done in order to structure the compliance review process to be more
efficient, less intrusive on the district, and focused on student results.
At the end of Years One and Two, 195 districts had been reviewed using the revised
process. This process includes parent surveys, file review, classroom visits and
interviews with service providers of randomly selected students. This process has
resulted in more focused efforts that attempt to unify the on-site verification process.
While we are still in Year Three of the revised process, districts consistently report that
this program review has more meaning for them. For example, a consistent finding in
the program review activity for almost all districts has been a disconnect between
evaluation results, IEPs, and delivery of services. The districts now report being able to
center their efforts on closing the loop between these dimensions of service delivery and
thereby closing some of the procedural notice, consent and due process. This
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consistency across regions has also enabled us to better generalize our findings.
Although Washington has not been able to remedy all of the compliance issues in our
state, it is becoming increasingly clear that the interrelationships between various
regulations are better understood. Common findings in the revised review process have
resulted in the development of staff training modules for use in the districts and through
the regional Educational Service Districts. Washington has four full-time monitors
employed by our office.
By the end of Year Three, Washington will, for the first time, have a full cycle of
consistent data to enable the state to make meaningful generalizations from the data
gathered from this approach. The results of the cycle will assist the state in targeting
specific topics for preservice, inservice, parent training; as well as, targeting technical
assistance efforts through personal visits, working with regional teams (ESDs) and
technical assistance papers (TAPs) developed by state staff.
Indicator: Maintain current three year program review cycle.
The CPR team within OSPI Special Education Operations collects the program review
data using a standard collection instrument. The 3-year cycle allows for data to be
collected consistently across all school districts. At the end of the full cycle staff will
review the information collected and any feedback obtained during the cycle. They will
also incorporate changes from federal or state regulations to adjust the collection
instrument.
The 2000–01 school year was the first year of this cycle. This cycle will be completed at
the end of the 2002–03 school year. All school districts within the state of Washington
will have been monitored by the end of this cycle. Trend data will be available in the next
annual report.
The Program Review consists of four major steps: Previsit Data Collection, Onsite Data
Collection, Compliance Review Final Report and Corrective Action Plan.
Previsit Data Collection includes the following: a Self Study filled out by each school
district which consists of 32 Core Questions, Policies and Procedures, Citizen
Complaints, Due Process Hearings, LEA Applications, Out of District Placements,
Suspensions/Expulsions, Parent Surveys, ESD Liaison Contacts, Unilaterally Placed
Private Placements, and Demographic/State Assessment Profiles.
Onsite Data Collection consists of: File Reviews, Copies of Current Evaluations/IEPs,
Attendance Verifications, Student Class Schedules, District/OSPI Entrance Meeting,
Classroom Observations, Staff Interviews and District/OSPI Exit Meeting.
Compliance Review Final Report consists of 18 Core Questions that include: No
Findings, Findings or Substantial Findings. The eighteen areas include: policies,
procedures, Section 504, Community involvement, Procedural Safeguards, Private
Schools, FERPA/Confidentiality, Child Find, Staff Development, Citizen
Complaints/Due Process Hearings, Fiscal, Medicaid Funds, Continuum of Services, IEP
Implementation, FAPE, Related Services, Parent Participation, and Transition.
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The Corrective Action Plan consists of Findings/Substantial Findings. The district then
submits a plan describing activities, timelines and evaluative criteria addressing the
Findings/Substantial findings. OSPI then reviews and accepts the plan. Activities may
either consist of student specific activities or activities to address any systemic findings.
Indicator: Maintain current citizen complaint, due process hearing and mediation
processes.
The OSPI Special Education Operations office collects the citizen’s complaint data and
the OSPI Legal Services office collects the due process hearing data using the same
standard collection instrument. Data is collected on a calendar year then adjusted to a
school year approach. The use of the same instrument enables the data from each office
to be aggregated over any period of time to facilitate comparisons across and between
databases.
For mediation, an independent third party contractor collects the mediation data using a
standard collection instrument. The data collection instrument is not as specific as
either the Citizen Complaint or Due Process Collection Instruments but the fields are
defined to enable comparisons across all three data sets at any given period of time. Data
from these three sets will also be compared to Special Education Compliance Program
Review data referenced in the previous indicator.
Data collected by the State Auditor’s Office is yet another area used to cross-reference
areas of need. This data can be connected to data points in the Compliance Program
Review instrument, as well as the Citizen Complaint and Due Process instruments.
Data from all of these sources are collected at the district level and can then be analyzed
by individual districts, or aggregated by county, region or statewide. This assists the
state in determining needs in targeted parts of the state.
A corrective action matrix has recently been developed and added to both the Citizen
Complaint and Program Review processes. In either case, if a district has findings that
call for a corrective action, the matrix is sent to each school district along with their
report. OSPI staff will fill in the matrix with those issues requiring district response
along with the supporting data or corrective action(s) ordered. The district must fill in
the columns specifying their actions taken or activities addressing those issues,
timelines, the person(s) responsible and evaluation methods/outcomes used. The matrix
must be returned to OSPI for approval and verification of completion.
The mediation database will be refined to the same detail as the Due Process and Citizen
Complaint instrument. The system will track which mediations were successful in that it
resulted in a Citizen Complaint or Due Process Hearing being withdrawn and parties
satisfied with the outcomes of mediation.
26
Indicator: Maintain use of the State Auditors Office review of Special Education
Programs.
Staff from the State Auditor’s Office (SAO), as directed by the Legislature, collects
annual data from school districts to try to identify baseline costs for special education.
They have identified four key questions to use when reviewing student files to assist in
data collection. Those questions and trend data are listed in the following indicators.
Indicator: Utilize program review results along with citizen complaint, due process,
mediation and State Auditor results to develop state sponsored training
activities.
In the first two years of a three-year cycle, the Special Education Compliance Program
Review team found the following during their reviews:
1. IEP Implementation:
Inconsistencies between the evaluation, IEP, and/or delivery of services,
Evaluations not sufficient in scope to develop a complete and accurate IEP,
Lack of specially designed instruction as indicated on the IEP,
Lack of measurable annual goals and present levels,
Lack of behavioral goals/functional behavioral assessments or positive behavioral
intervention plans.
2. Related Services:
Addition/Deletion of services,
Provision related to recommendations.
3. Transition:
Separate from IEP process,
Not reflective of student’s course of study,
Identified interest not based on complete assessment of interests, aptitudes, and
skills,
Goals/objectives not present to support the student’s transition plans.
Each citizen complaint, due process hearing and mediation case usually consist of
multiple issues.
Top issues in Citizen Complaints: Sixty-seven complaints were filed during the 2001-02
school year. Of those, 15 cases were closed or withdrawn for a variety of reasons. The top
issues in the remaining 52 cases were:
1. Services on the IEP not being provided,
2. Composition of the IEP team not appropriate,
3. IEP meetings not scheduled as needed,
4. IEP not appropriate,
5. FAPE,
6. Least restrictive environment.
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Top issues in Due Process Hearings: During the 2001-02, 154 due process hearings were
filed with the OSPI Legal Services. Of those cases 119 were withdrawn or dismissed. Of
the 34 with outcomes the top issues identified were:
1. Was the IEP appropriate?
2. Were the services on the IEP being provided?
3. Was the evaluation appropriate?
4. Was FAPE being met?
5. Was the student being served in the least restrictive environment?
These were issues identified most often by parents even though the data showed the
outcomes for these issues more often went in favor of the district.
Top issues in Mediations: The top five issues cited in mediation were:
1. Program/IEP, Placement,
2. Communication,
3. Assessment/Eligibility, and
4. Staffing.
Out of 138 cases filed with the third party contractor: 48 reached a settlement
agreement, 29 declined to go to mediation, 25 were withdrawn by the requesting party,
15 resolved the issues by phone (during intake the process)s, 8 did not reach settlement,
12 reached settlement on one or more (but not all) issues, and 1 is still pending
mediation.
State Auditor’s Office Issues: Staff from the State Auditor’s Office (SAO), as directed by
the Legislature, collects annual data from school districts to try to identify baseline costs
for special education. They have identified four key questions to use when reviewing
student files, to assist in data collection. Those questions and trend data are:
1. What percent of IEPs are appropriately prepared? 1999=78%, 2000=80%,
2001=82%
2. What percent of IEPs reflect the evaluation summary? 1999=82%, 2000=83%,
2001=89%
3. What percent of IEPs indicate specially designed instruction? 1999=89%,
2000=95%, 2001=97%
4. What percent of IEPs document the need for special education? 1999=96%,
2000=99%, 2001=99%
The correlated indicators and relationships the state of Washington has built between all
of these data sources enable OSPI to determine training needs tailored to very specific
areas. The data gathered will drive the development of comprehensive personnel
development plans used for targeted staff training in Objective 4. This data will also be
important to state improvement grant activities and curriculum development for
institutions of higher education.
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Objective 4: To improve the performance of personnel assigned to special
education at the local district level
Indicator: Develop and utilize a set of core competencies for teaching assistants
and/or paraeducators.
Recommended core competencies have been developed. Although these are not required
competencies, they are being used at the local level as the state standard.
Current needs are determined by the data consolidated from the Program Review, Due
Process Hearings, Citizen Complaints, Mediation, State Auditor’s Office Program Audits
(all Indicators in Objective 3), as well as regional needs assessments.
Regional Educational Service Districts (ESDs) conduct trainings on the recommended
core competencies for staff within regions. The State Needs Project ―Bates Technical
College (BTC) Paraeducator Training Program,‖ offers college credit courses at one-third
of the normal tuition costs for anyone who wants to take courses to meet the
competency requirements. These courses are offered via distance learning through
video, world wide web or correspondence. The Washington Education Association
(WEA) also trains paraeducators using the recommended core competencies. Due to
paraeducator requirements of the ESEA, OSPI is reviewing the special education
competencies already established in Washington as a framework to develop
competencies for all paraeducators. This consistency will be helpful for those
paraeducators already working in special education.
Indicator: Reduce out of endorsement waiver requests.
1998–99 Out of endorsement waiver requests 15
1999–00 Out of endorsement waiver requests 12
2000–01 Out of endorsement waiver requests 37
These data are made available on an annual basis from the State Board of Education
(SBE) and therefore appear to establish a reliable basis for reporting. Out-of-
endorsement waivers are self-reported to the SBE by districts.
Due to changes in the special education endorsement (adopted by the SBE in 1999)
Washington has established pre-endorsement waivers. This is for personnel who already
have 24 credits or 16 semester credits which is verified by the Institute of Higher
Education (IHE). This allows staff to teach special education and at the same time take
up to five service years to finish their 45 credits. As this pre-endorsement program
progresses, we hope to see an impact in the reduction of out of endorsement waiver
requests.
29
Indicator: Increase statewide volume of undergraduate degree special education
majors.
1998–99 Washington State awards 166 undergraduate degrees
1999–00 Washington State awards 148 undergraduate degrees
2000–01 Washington State awards 115 undergraduate degrees
Indicator: Increase statewide volume of graduate degree special education majors.
1998–99 Washington State awards 91 graduate degrees
1999–00 Washington State awards 97 graduate degrees
2000–01 Washington State awards 93 graduate degrees
2000–01 Washington State awards 1 doctoral degree
OSPI has developed teacher competencies that have been approved by the State Board of
Education. Institutions of Higher Education met in June 2002 to write indicators for
these competencies which become effective September 2003. IHEs will change
curriculum for special education and early childhood special education endorsements.
To implement the competencies, OSPI will provide stipends and forgivable loans to
students and support IHEs in curriculum modification of their teacher preparation
programs.
These data are made available on an annual basis from the Washington Higher
Education Board and therefore appear to establish a reliable basis for reporting.
Indicator: Address inservice and staff development needs of special education
administrators.
Data consolidated from Program Review, Due Process Hearings, Citizen Complaints,
Mediation, State Auditor’s Office Program Audits (all Indicators within Objective 3), as
well as regional needs assessments are used in determining staff development agendas
and tools.
OSPI delivers training and information to special education administrators in a variety
of formats and venues. Nine summer institutes were sponsored by OSPI and delivered to
parents, administrators, educators and related service personnel. Topics of the institutes
included: Assistive Technology, three separate institutes on Collaborative Decision
Making: Negotiation, Mediation, and Large Group Facilitation, Early Childhood Special
Education, Effectively Serving Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities, Life
Space Crisis Intervention: Talking to Kids in Crisis, Combined Summer Institute with
separate strands focusing on: Autism, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Visually Impaired,
Students with Significant Disabilities and the Special Education Administrators
Workshop.
OSPI also funds several state needs projects. These projects are funded out of federal
discretionary monies that benefit the state as a whole or would not otherwise be
30
available in a given region. Projects that may be provisoed by the Legislature for a given
cycle would also fall into the state needs category. The projects train a variety of
administrators, educators, related service providers, and parents. The projects are:
Autism Outreach Project, Bates Technical College (BTC) Paraeducator Training
Program, BEACONS–Behavioral and Emotional Assessment and Curriculum for the
Ongoing Needs of Students with or At Risk of Developing Emotional Disturbance,
Center for Change in Transition Services, Family Educator/Partnership Project (FEPP),
Special Education Mediation Program, Special Education Technology Center (SETC),
WAEYC Early Childhood Inclusion Project, Washington Sensory Disability Services,
Washington State Special Education Training For All (Staff And Parents) (WSSETA).
Information on individual State Needs Projects can be found starting on page 75 of this
report.
In addition to workshops and state funded projects, OSPI also develops technical
assistance documents that are available in a variety of formats. All materials can be
found on our website at www.k12.wa.us/specialed, paper copy, or available through
OSPI on the Connecting Ideas Compact Disk.
OSPI staff are assigned as liaisons to each of the nine regions called educational service
districts (ESDs). OSPI staff meet regularly with special education administrators from
the school districts within those ESDs. Information on current topics are discussed and
distributed at these monthly meetings. This monthly information is emailed to special
education staff in each school district and posted to the website. Special education
administrators from school districts then distribute these updates to their school staff.
Liaisons also answer questions or concerns of parents located within assigned regions.
The Special Education Clearinghouse was established as part of Washington’s State
Improvement Grant Goal 5. The purpose of the Clearinghouse website is to catalog and
disseminate information about special education inservice opportunities at the local,
regional, state, and national level. Inservice trainings, workshops, and conferences are
available from a variety of sources that are of interest to parents, administrators, and
educators involved with special education services for children, birth to twenty-one.
Agencies or organizations submit information to the Clearinghouse of a training event
that will be posted to the website. The Clearinghouse is contracted with Washington
PAVE (Washington’s PTI). The Clearinghouse can be accessed by calling
1-800-836-0305 or http://www.searchwtc.com/.
Indicator: Address inservice and staff development needs of general and special
education teachers.
In addition to how inservice and staff development are addressed for administrators (see
indicator above) additional opportunities have been targeted for the needs of general
and special education teachers.
Data consolidated from Program Review, Due Process Hearings, Citizen Complaints,
Mediation, State Auditor’s Office Program Audits (all Indicators in Objective 3), as well
as regional needs assessments are used in determining staff development agendas and
31
tools. WEA staff developed a survey to determine needs of teachers in Washington State.
This survey also asked why educators were leaving the field. WEA will use the
information from the 1700 surveys that were returned, to determine training needs for
Washington teachers.
Through a contract with the nine ESDs, OSPI is able to regionally target training needs
of special and general educators. Each ESD conducts annual needs assessment and
develops a training agenda to meet the specific needs of those special and general
education teachers within their region. ESD staff use modules and tools developed
jointly with other ESDs and OSPI. By jointly developing training materials, a consistent
message is delivered statewide.
Indicator: Address training needs for parents of special education students.
Training needs for parents of special education students are determined through a
variety of venues. In addition to the data collected from program review, due process
hearings, citizen complaints, mediation, and regional needs assessments, data from
Washington PAVE, and all the State Needs Projects.
The same types of programs and resources described in the preceding two indicators
also apply to the training needs for parents of special education students.
Indicator: Increase the numbers of states in which we have certification reciprocity
agreements.
As a member of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and
Certification (NASDTEC), Washington has signed an interstate contract for the period
2000–05 recognizing reciprocity for the granting of a certificate for teachers,
administrators and ESAs. Currently Washington State has reciprocity agreements with
46 states plus Puerto Rico and Guam.
32
Brief History of Special Education
Brief History of Special Education
Washington State became a leader by enacting legislation for eligible special education
students and their families. House Bill 90 was passed in 1969 and codified as chapter
28A.155 RCW in 1971. Contained in chapter 392-172 WAC are the rules and regulations
that were developed from this legislation.
Services for eligible special education students in Washington State are the
responsibility of many agencies within the educational system. The OSPI has overall
responsibility and general supervisory authority for administering federal and state
educational programs.
School districts in Washington State serve children with disabilities, aged birth through
21, who are in need of special education and related services. The services provided are
based on the individual needs of each student.
Public Law 94-142, the Education for Handicapped Act (EHA), was enacted in
November 1975. It mandated that all school systems in the nation must make provision
for a free appropriate public education for students regardless of disability. In 1990, P.L.
94-142 became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is the
guiding legislation for special education at the funded level. The four main purposes of
IDEA are as listed:
To provide assistance to states to develop early intervention services for
infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families and to ensure a free
appropriate public education to all children and youth with disabilities.
To ensure that the rights of children and youth with disabilities from birth to
age 21 and their families are protected.
To assist states and localities to provide for early intervention services and the
education of all children with disabilities.
To assess and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to provide early intervention
services and educate all children with disabilities.
Before the enactment of IDEA, one million children with disabilities were excluded from
school and placed in separate schools or institutions; an additional 3.5 million did not
receive appropriate programs within the public schools (Rothestein, 1990; Zettle and
Ballard, 1982).
On June 4, 1997, the Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
was signed into law by President Clinton. The intent of this reauthorization was to
strengthen academic expectations and accountability for the nation’s 5.4 million
children with disabilities and to clearly relate the general curriculum to an
individualized education program.
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The law also requires:
Regular progress reports to parents.
Children with disabilities to be included in state and district assessments.
Performance goals set and reported as done for nondisabled children.
Increased parental involvement in the education of their children.
Final federal rules and regulations for the Reauthorization of the Amendments of 1997
were issued on March 12, 1999.
After a great deal of input and involvement, state office staff, a statewide steering
committee, and a number of statewide task forces were able to incorporate the new
federal regulations for special education within our existing Washington Administrative
Code (chapter 392-172 WAC). The new WACs were adopted on December 1, 1999, and
became effective on January 1, 2000. In addition to the new WACs, optional state forms
to assist in the implementation of the new regulations were developed in the spring of
2000, revised procedural safeguards were disseminated, and questions taken at input
sessions were published with their answers. Multiple trainings regarding the new WACs
as well as the new state forms were conducted to administrators and service providers,
and multiple parent and family groups throughout the state.
In May 2001, the OSPI Special Education Operations proposed amendments to selected
sections of Chapter 392-172 WAC. Special Education Operations held 3 public hearings,
and left the amendments open for comment through October 3, 2001. Comments were
reviewed and final rules adopted effective December 30, 2001.
In addition to clean up of language and the correction of typographical errors,
amendments include:
Addressing special education services to students incarcerated in state adult
correctional facilities;
Clarifying that school districts who opt to serve children, birth to three, follow
Part C of IDEA rules;
Making procedure changes to the program review, citizen complaint, and non-
public agency processes; and
Addressing other changes required for our federal eligibility documentation,
including parent’s rights to decline initial special education services.
To view amendments or the complete WAC 392-172 go to
www.k12.wa.us/specialed/wac/wac_main.asp
34
Definitions
Special education student is defined as any student, enrolled in school or not,
(i) who has been identified as having a disability, (ii) whose disability adversely affects
the student’s educational performance, (iii) and whose unique needs cannot be
addressed exclusively through education in general education classes with or without
individual accommodations and is determined to be eligible for special education
services.
Special education is instruction that is specially designed to meet the unique needs
and abilities of an eligible student with disabilities. It must be provided at no cost to the
student or parent, in conformance with the student's IEP. Specially designed instruction
includes instruction conducted in the classrooms, in the home, in hospitals and
institutions, and in other settings, and instruction in physical education.
Related services is defined as transportation and such developmental, corrective,
preventative and other supportive services as are required to assist a special education
student to benefit from special education.
Related services include classified staff services, counseling services, early identification
and evaluation of disabilities in students, medical services, parent counseling and
training, psychological services, recreation, rehabilitation counseling services, school
health services, social work services in schools, and transportation.
The list of related services is not exhaustive and may include other developmental,
corrective, preventative or supportive services, if they are required to assist a special
education student to benefit from special education.
The terms used in the definition of ―related services‖ are defined as follows:
Classified staff services include: Services provided by classified staff which
provide for the student’s safety, personal care, and instructional assistance; and
services provided to certificated staff by classified staff which provide assistance
for special education students to achieve placement in the least restrictive
environment.
Counseling services are services provided by qualified social workers,
psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified personnel. Counseling
services also include counseling and guidance of parents, children and teachers
by audiologists regarding hearing loss, and by speech pathologists regarding
speech and language impairment.
Early identification and evaluation of disabilities in students means the
implementation of a formal plan for identifying a disability as early as possible in
a student’s life.
Medical services are diagnostic and evaluation services provided by a licensed
physician to determine a student’s medically related disabling condition which
may result in the student’s need for special education and related services.
35
Parent counseling and training means assisting parents in understanding the
special needs of their child, providing parents with information about child
development, and helping parents to acquire the necessary skills that will allow
them to support the implementation of their student’s IEP.
Psychological services includes:
- Administering psychological and educational tests, and other evaluation
procedures;
- Interpreting evaluation results;
- Obtaining, integrating, and interpreting information about the student’s
behavior and conditions relating to learning;
- Consulting with other staff members in planning school programs to meet the
special needs of students as indicated by psychological tests, interviews, and
behavioral evaluations;
- Planning and managing a program of psychological services, including
psychological counseling for students and parents; and
- Assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.
Recreation includes:
- Assessment of leisure function;
- Therapeutic recreation services;
- Recreation programs in school and community agencies; and
- Leisure education.
Rehabilitation counseling services are services provided by qualified personnel in
individual or group sessions that focus specifically on career development,
employment preparation, achieving independence, and integration in the
workplace and community of a special education student. The term also includes
vocational rehabilitation services provided to special education students by
vocational rehabilitation programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
as amended.
School health services are nursing or other health services provided to a special
education student by a qualified school nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical
nurse or other persons qualified or appropriately trained to provide the services
in the student’s educational setting.
Social work services in schools include:
- Preparing a social or developmental history on a special education student;
- Group and individual counseling with the student and family;
- Working in partnership with parents and others on those problems in a
student’s living situation (home, school, and/or community) that affect the
student’s adjustment in school;
- Mobilizing school and community resources to enable the student to benefit
from his or her educational program; and
- Assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.
36
Transportation includes:
- Travel to and from school and between schools;
- Travel in and around school buildings; and
- Specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if
required to provide special transportation for a special education student.
37
38
Disability Categories
Special education and related services are provided to students who meet Washington
State eligibility criteria under one of the disability categories defined below. Students
must meet specific eligibility criteria for one of these disability categories. For detailed
eligibility criteria, refer to WAC 392-172-114 through 392-172-148. In addition, there
must be documented an adverse educational impact and need for special education and
related services because of a student’s disability.
All students being considered for eligibility for special education
and any necessary related services shall be evaluated in all areas of
suspected disability and in accordance with the procedures in
WAC 392-172-106 through 392-172-111.
Developmentally Delayed—The term "developmentally delayed, birth to three years"
shall mean those children under three years of age who:
(a) Meet the eligibility criteria established in Part C of IDEA; or
(b) Qualify for one of the other eligibility categories specified in this chapter; and
(c) Are in need of early intervention services under Part C of IDEA. Children who
qualify for early intervention services must be evaluated prior to age three in order to
determine eligibility for special education and related services.
The term "developmentally delayed, three to six years" shall mean those children
between three and six years of age who demonstrate a delay on a standardized norm
referenced test, with a test-retest or split-half reliability of .80 that is at least:
(a) Two standard deviations below the mean in one or more of the five developmental
areas defined in WAC 392-172-116; or
(b) One and one-half standard deviations below the mean in two or more of the five
developmental areas defined in WAC 392-172-116; or
(c) Qualify for one of the other eligibility categories specified in this chapter; and
(d) Are in need of special education and any necessary related services.
(e) Children aged six to nine years who previously qualified as "developmentally
delayed, three to six years," may at the option of the school district or other public
agency, continue to be eligible under the criteria for "developmentally delayed, three to
six years" until they are reevaluated, but not later than three years after the eligibility
decision for "developmentally delayed, three to six years" was initially made.
The term "developmentally delayed, six to nine years" shall mean those children
between six and nine years of age who either continue to qualify under subsection (2)(e)
of this section, or demonstrate a delay on a standardized norm referenced test, with a
test-retest or split-half reliability of .80 that is at least:
(a) Two standard deviations below the mean in one or more of the five developmental
areas defined in WAC 392-172-116; or
(b) Qualify for one of the other eligibility categories specified in this chapter; and
(c) Are in need of special education and any necessary related services.
39
Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled—Students who exhibit one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree: inability to
build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers;
inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; general
pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; physical symptoms or fears associated
with personal or school problems.
Communication Disordered—Students who have a documented communication
disorder such as stuttering, voice disorder, language impairment, and/or impaired
articulation which adversely affects a student's educational performance and requires
specially designed instruction.
Orthopedically Impaired—Students who lack normal function of muscles, joints or
bones due to congenital anomaly, disease, or permanent injury and such conditions
adversely affect educational performance and require specially designed instruction.
Health Impaired—Students who have limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a
heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with
respect to the educational environment due to chronic or acute health problems, such as
a heart condition, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma, attention deficit disorder or
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, lead poisoning,
leukemia, or diabetes, that adversely affect their educational performance and require
specially designed instruction.
Specific Learning Disability—Students who have a disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language.
This may include problems in listening, thinking, speaking, or communicating clearly;
reading with comprehension, writing legibly and with meaning, spelling, and accurately
performing mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual
disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental
aphasia. A learning disability is indicated by a severe discrepancy between the student’s
intellectual ability and academic achievement.
Mental Retardation—Students demonstrate significantly subaverage general
intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and
manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects their educational
performance and requires specially designed instruction.
Multiple Disabilities—Students who have two or more disabling conditions, which
adversely affects educational performance and requires specially designed instruction,
the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be
accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. This
term does not include deaf-blindness.
40
Deafness—Students who have a hearing impairment which is so severe that the student
is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without
amplification, that adversely affects their educational performance and requires
specially designed instruction.
Hearing Impairment—Students who have a permanent or fluctuating hearing
impairment, but is not included under the definition of deafness, which adversely affects
their educational performance and requires specially designed instruction.
Visually Impaired—Students who have a visual impairment, which even with correction
adversely affects the student’s educational performance and requires specially designed
instruction. The term includes both partially sighted and blind students.
Deaf-Blindness—Students whose hearing and vision impairments, in combination,
cause such severe communication and other developmental and educational problems
that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for students
with deafness or blindness. The impairments adversely affect the student’s educational
performance and require specially designed instruction.
Autism—Students who have a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal
and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3 that
adversely affects a student's educational performance and requires specially designed
instruction. Students in this category have a range of intellectual abilities. Other
characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and
stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines,
and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The category of autism includes students
with pervasive developmental disorders if the students meet eligibility criteria.
Traumatic Brain Injury—Students who have acquired injury to the brain caused by an
external physical force resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial
impairment, or both, that adversely affects educational performance requires specially
designed instruction. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in
impairments in one or more of the following areas such as: Cognition; language;
memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory
perceptual and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information
processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or
degenerative or brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
41
42
Students Served
During the 2001–02 school year, 120,180 special education students aged 3 through 21,
or 12.08 percent of the total school enrollment, were served in the state of Washington.
In addition 2,224 special education students aged 0–2 were also served by school
districts. Therefore, total enrollment figures do not include students aged 0–2 because
there is no comparative figures for nondisabled 0–2 year olds.
Figure 1
Students Receiving Special Education and
Related Services
12.08%
87.92%
Students Not Receiving Special Education
and Related Services
Data Source: 2001–02 Report 1735T and 1251H, dated 8/02.
Table A (see page 45 of this report) lists numbers of students by disability category and
percentage of the total population of students receiving special education and related
services in Washington State. These data are based on the state eight-month average
enrollment and 12-month average total enrollment for the 2001–02 school year. Also
shown on Table A is the change in students by disability categories from 1982–83
through 1994–95 and the total enrollment and percentage figures for the 1995–96
through 2001–02 school years. Because of changes in the funding formula, OSPI School
Apportionment and Financial Services collects data on students by age and not by
disability category. OSPI Special Education collects information on students by
disability category on December 1 of each year. Comparing the state eight-month
average and the federal December 1 count would be an inconsistent use of this data. The
December 1, 2001, federal count (Tables B through E on pages 47-50 of this report) is
included for your information, but we caution against making comparisons between the
two data sets.
43
The percent of students receiving special education and related services during the
2000–01 school year was 11.89 percent which increased to 12.08 percent during the
2001–02 school year (or an increase of 1.67 percent from the previous school year). The
change in total enrollment increased by 0.05 percent for a total of 994,797 students in
Washington State.
44
Table A (page 1 of 2)
State of Washington Special Education Enrollment History
Based on Eight-Month Averages
DISABILITY CATEGORY 82-83 83-84 84-85 85-86 86-87 87-88 88-89 89-90 90-91 91-92 92-93
Developmentally Handicapped 3,141 3,540 3,962 4,808 5,552 6,362 7,186 7,960 9,076 10,298 11,260
Seriously Behaviorally Disabled 3,718 3,402 3,360 3,498 3,641 3,898 4,089 4,298 4,521 4,819 5,132
Orthopedically Impaired 684 737 736 768 823 894 930 993 1,018 1,073 1,157
Health Impaired 1,403 1,524 1,688 1,955 2,339 2,842 3,507 4,251 5,173 6,374 7,991
Specific Learning Disabled 31,406 33,593 33,985 33,750 33,614 34,290 35,118 36,417 37,548 39,040 40,551
Mentally Retarded - Mild 6,179 6,003 5,852 5,844 5,853 5,820 5,712 5,652 5,704 5,744 5,853
Mentally Retarded - Moderate 1,588 1,530 1,390 1,339 1,341 1,314 1,315 1,333 1,302 1,268 1,229
Mentally Retarded - Severe 348 328 328 315 291 285 273 267 272 251 237
Multihandicapped 1,087 1,193 1,246 1,356 1,441 1,611 1,850 2,043 2,289 2,566 2,768
Deaf 445 418 379 340 320 326 317 327 371 374 387
Hard of Hearing 535 575 574 665 765 879 1,032 1,175 1,341 1,477 1,653
Visually Handicapped 270 266 232 210 207 212 229 244 272 284 288
Deaf-Blind 19 19 12 16 16 13 18 17 22 24 23
Communication Disordered 11,683 12,360 12,480 12,708 13,224 13,889 14,581 15,289 15,897 16,710 17,076
HC Enrollment 62,506 65,488 66,223 67,572 69,426 72,634 76,157 80,264 84,805 90,302 95,605
761,84 775,91 790,49 809,73 839,32 868,67 889,69
Total Enrollment 738,618 736,121 740,976 748,694 7 9 0 3 0 6 2
% HC to Total Enrollment 8.46% 8.90% 8.94% 9.03% 9.11% 9.36% 9.63% 9.91% 10.10% 10.40% 10.75%
% Change HC Enrollment 4.77% 1.12% 2.04% 2.74% 4.62% 4.85% 5.39% 5.66% 6.48% 5.87%
% Change Total Enrollment -0.34% 0.66% 1.04% 1.76% 1.85% 1.88% 2.43% 3.65% 3.50% 2.42%
Sources: 1982-83 through 1987-88 Memo from Tom Case to Terry Michalson, dated 1-31-89
1988-89 through 1991-92 Memo from Tom Case to Ken Kanikeberg, dated 12-1-93
1992-93 Reports 1251H and 1735T, dated 1-19-94
45
Table A (page 2 of 2)
State of Washington Special Education Enrollment History
Based on Eight-Month Averages
DISABILITY CATEGORY 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02
Developmentally Handicapped 12,780 13,912
Seriously Behaviorally Disabled 5,362 5,480
Orthopedically Impaired 1,140 1,104
Health Impaired 9,966 12,461
Specific Learning Disabled 41,493 42,594
Mentally Retarded - Mild 6,074 6,322
Mentally Retarded - Moderate 1,234 1,248
Mentally Retarded - Severe 241 230
Multihandicapped 2,959 3,221
Deaf 385 380
Hard of Hearing 1,839 1,958
Visually Handicapped 288 300
Deaf-Blind 20 24
Communication Disordered 17,327 17,524
101,10 106,75 106,66 107,73 110,46 113,58 116,21 118,20 120,18
HC Enrollment 8 8 5 2 5 0 6 6 0
909,52 928,66 947,85 967,80 981,38 990,80 992,37 994,29 994,79
Total Enrollment 5 9 7 3 2 2 0 3 7
% HC to Total Enrollment 11.12% 11.50% 11.25% 11.13% 11.26% 11.46% 11.71% 11.89% 12.08%
% Change HC Enrollment 5.76% 5.59% -0.09% 1.00% 2.54% 2.82% 2.32% 1.71% 1.67%
% Change Total Enrollment 2.23% 2.10% 2.07% 2.10% 1.40% 0.96% 0.16% 0.19% 0.05%
1993-94 Reports 1251H and 1735T, dated 1-24-95
1994-95 Reports 1251H and 1735T, dated 1-8-96
46
Reports 1251H and 1735T, dated February following each school year. Data available in funding categories 0-2 and 3-21 only Figures only reflect for
3-21 category.
47
Table B
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B
December 1, 2001, Child Count Report
State Summary
Age (as of Dec. 1, 2001) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Totals
Developmentally Delayed 2,049 2,958 3,485 3032 2200 753 X X X X X X X X X X X X X 14,477
Emotionally/Behaviorally
Disabled 0 3 5 46 153 274 353 455 497 549 569 568 535 462 291 185 66 17 1 5029
Orthopedically Impaired 13 20 24 48 58 80 81 74 85 66 49 56 52 49 35 39 17 7 0 853
Health Impaired 78 85 91 271 565 1,079 1,486 1,661 1,890 1,907 1,820 1,779 1,651 1,534 1263 655 205 78 18 18116
Specific Learning Disability 0 0 9 298 1,221 2,881 4,202 5,248 5,711 5,930 5,546 4,998 4,656 4,237 3,544 1,709 307 78 6 50581
Mental Retardation 0 2 5 59 106 332 483 490 495 570 554 606 561 571 525 363 276 189 49 6236
Multiple Disabilities 5 10 19 58 77 126 165 190 195 200 253 201 220 203 221 192 160 150 41 2686
Deafness 10 9 15 27 23 41 26 36 33 37 43 41 25 40 44 34 8 2 0 494
Hearing Impairment 9 7 20 41 59 72 79 89 107 82 87 90 78 73 78 34 17 5 2 1029
Visually Impaired 5 8 5 14 21 28 31 39 23 22 24 29 24 29 20 15 8 3 2 350
Deaf-Blindness 2 1 1 2 3 3 1 2 2 3 0 2 2 5 2 1 1 1 2 36
Communication Disordered 394 846 1,548 2,411 2,749 3,119 2,899 2,140 1,217 602 300 174 95 62 59 30 6 1 0 18652
Autism 31 42 59 132 173 263 277 215 191 156 139 106 81 75 51 46 35 28 4 2104
Traumatic Brain Injury 2 3 3 7 10 17 19
23 36 2829 3025 21 32 25 9 11 1 331
10,14 12
Totals 2,598 3,994 5,289 6,446 7,418 9,068 10,102 10,667 10,471 7 9,420 8,679 8,010 7,361 6,165 3,328 1,115 570 6 120,974
Data Source: December 1, 2001, federal child count submitted to OSEP 2/02.
47
Table C
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B
December 1, 2001, Child Count Report by Ethnicity Category
State Summary
Age (as of Dec. 1, 2001) American Indian/ Asian or Pacific Black, Hispanic White, Total State
Alaska Native Islander Non-Hispanic Non-Hispanic
Students Ages 6–21
(by Disability)
Developmentally Delayed 251 255 445 919 4,115 5,985
Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled 233 97 610 273 3,808 5,021
Orthopedically Impaired 19 52 45 80 600 796
Health Impaired 561 537 1,088 971 14,705 17,862
Specific Learning Disability 2,230 1,890 4,049 6,390 36,013 50,572
Mental Retardation 299 291 593 906 4,140 6,229
Multiple Disabilities 94 130 167 209 2,052 2,652
Deafness 11 31 18 75 325 460
Hearing Impairment 33 78 54 137 691 993
Visually Impaired 6 21 14 38 253 332
Deaf-Blindness 1 0 1 2 28 32
Communication Disordered 523 903 746 1,502 12,190 15,864
Autism 24 129 127 80 1,612 1,972
Traumatic Brain Injury 14 7 17 30 255 323
Totals 4,299 4,421 7,974 11,612 80,787 109,093
Data Source: December 1, 2001, federal child count submitted to OSEP 2/02.
48
Table D
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B
December 1, 2001, Child Count Report by Ethnicity Category
State Summary
Age (as of Dec. 1, 2001) American Indian/ Asian or Pacific Black, Hispanic White, Total State
Alaska Native Islander Non-Hispanic Non-Hispanic
Students Ages 3–5 (by Disability)
Developmentally Delayed 256 395 451 1,215 6,175 8,492
Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled 0 0 1 0 7 8
Orthopedically Impaired 1 3 2 3 48 57
Health Impaired 6 9 31 26 182 254
Specific Learning Disability 0 0 0 3 6 9
Mental Retardation 0 0 0 0 7 7
Multiple Disabilities 1 3 3 2 25 34
Deafness 3 5 2 3 21 34
Hearing Impairment 0 1 4 8 23 36
Visually Impaired 0 0 1 4 13 18
Deaf-Blindness 0 0 0 1 3 4
Communication Disordered 55 96 115 289 2,233 2,788
Autism 6 12 7 2 105 132
Traumatic Brain Injury 1 0 0 1 6 8
Totals 329 524 617 1,557 8,854 11,881
Data Source: December 1, 2001, federal child count submitted to OSEP 2/02.
49
Table E
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B
December 1, 2001, Child Count Report by Disability Category
ESD Summary
Age (as of Dec. 1, 2001) 101 105 112 113 114 121 123 171 189 State Total
Schools State
Developmentally Delayed 1,112 1,068 1,194 1,322 731 4,822 815 713 2,700 0 14,477
Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled 304 148 697 410 257 2,063 204 63 883 0 5029
Orthopedically Impaired 100 54 66 48 45 336 44 41 119 0 853
Health Impaired 1,449 618 1,459 1,352 997 7,762 1,196 402 2,881 0 18116
Specific Learning Disability 4,539 2,968 4,226 3,993 2,892 19,295 2,690 2,013 7,965 0 50581
Mental Retardation 729 518 491 522 392 1,952 373 391 868 0 6236
Multiple Disabilities 300 110 306 213 175 958 141 94 367 22 2686
Deafness 20 18 57 20 18 152 25 16 72 96 494
Hearing Impairment 62 68 123 79 69 367 77 31 143 10 1029
Visually Impaired 22 20 17 22 22 100 32 13 50 52 350
Deaf-Blindness 3 1 3 3 4 12 1 1 6 2 36
Communication Disordered 1,961 1,152 2,164 1,121 1,079 6,216 876 830 3,253 0 18652
Autism 165 48 239 129 112 925 120 43 322 1 2104
Traumatic Brain Injury 46 8 35 18 20 122 24 8 50 0 331
Totals 10,812 6,799 11,077 9,252 6,813 45,082 6,618 4,659 19,679 183 120,974
Data Source: December 1, 2001, federal child count submitted to OSEP 2/02.
50
Table F, shown below, displays the disability categories by percent of the total special
education population (ages 3 through 21). These figures are based on the
December 1, 2001, federal child count report.
Table F
December 1, 2001, Federal Child Count
Disability Category Percent of Total Students Receiving
Special Education and Related
Services
Developmentally Delayed 11.97%
Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled 4.16%
Orthopedically Impaired 0.71%
Health Impaired 14.98%
Specific Learning Disability 41.81%
Mental Retardation 5.15%
Multiple Disabilities 2.22%
Deafness 0.41%
Hearing Impairment 0.85%
Visually Impaired 0.29%
Deaf-Blindness 0.03%
Communication Disordered 15.42%
Autism 1.74%
Traumatic Brain Injury 0.27%
Data Source: December 1, 2001, federal child count figures submitted to OSEP 2/02.
Table G
December 1, 2001, Federal Child Count
Ethnicity Percentage of Eligible Special Education Students
Ethnicity Category Percent of Total Students Receiving
Special Education and Related
Services
American Indian/Alaska Native 3.83%
Asian or Pacific Islander 4.09%
Black, Non-Hispanic 7.10%
Hispanic 10.89%
White, Non-Hispanic 74.10%
Data Source: December 1, 2001, federal child count figures submitted to OSEP 2/02.
The number of special education students served nationally continues to grow at a rate
greater than total school enrollment. Reasons for this increase, as reported by many
states, include better diagnoses and identification of students.
51
A total of 6,272,007 children and youth with disabilities aged 3 through 21 were served
under IDEA during the 1999–00 school year or 8.3 percent of the total resident
population of the United States and outlying areas. Of the total number of special
education students served nationally, 588,300 were students aged three through five.
This accounts for approximately five percent of all preschoolers.
Table H displays national data of special education students served from the 1982–83
through 1999-00.
Table H
Children With Disabilities Served in the United States
Aged 3 Through 21
and the Percentage Change Each Year
School Year Total Served Percentage Change of Number
Served From Previous Year
1999–00 6,272,007 2.57
1998–99 6,114,803 2.39
1997–98 5,972,341 3.05
1996–97 5,795,854 5.01
1995–96 5,519,099 1.64
1994–95 5,430,223 1.24
1993–94 5,363,766 4.03
1992–93 5,155,853 3.41
1991–92 4,986,039 3.72
1990–91 4,807,441 2.82
1989–90 4,675,619 2.35
1988–89 4,568,063 1.84
1987–88 4,485,702 1.45
1986–87 4,421,601 1.18
1985–86 4,370,248 0.17
1984–85 4,363,031 0.50
1983–84 4,341,399 1.00
1982–83 4,298,327 1.50
Data Source: OSEP 23rd Annual Report to Congress.
As reported many times before, the largest disability category continues to be learning
disabilities for special education students aged 3 through 21.
With the IDEA Amendments of 1997 and the corresponding federal regulations issued
on March 12, 1999, an age revision was made to the developmental delays disability
category. This allows states the optional use of the developmental delay category for the
reporting of special education students through age nine. Washington State regulations
allow school districts to report eligible special students to age nine on the annual
December 1 federal child count. That data can be found throughout this report. The
52
increase in the developmental delay category is likely a reflection of the implementation
of this amendment to the regulation.
In addition to the increase in the developmental delay category, the health impairment
category showed the largest increase nationwide. The 23rd Annual Report to Congress
attributes this growth may be due to the memorandum published by the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Service (OSERS) which clarified the students with
attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may
be eligible for services under the other health impairments category when the disorder is
a chronic or acute health problem that results in limited alertness that in turn adversely
affects educational performance (US DOE, 1999).
Table I shows the changes in total and special education enrollment in Washington State
from 1982–83 through 2001–02. The data are also graphed in Figure 2 following this
table. Special education enrollment in Washington State increased 1.67 percent from
2000–01 to 2001–02 and total school enrollment for the state increased by 0.05
percent.
53
Table I
Washington State
Changes in Total Enrollment and Special Education Enrollment
School Year Total Percent Special Percent
Enrollment Change in Education Change in
Total Enrollment Special
Enrollment Education
Enrollment
1982–83 738,618 --- 62,506 ---
1983–84 736,121 -0.34 65,488 4.77
1984–85 740,976 0.66 66,223 1.12
1985–86 748,694 1.04 67,572 2.04
1986–87 761,847 1.76 69,426 2.74
1987–88 775,919 1.85 72,634 4.62
1988-89 790,490 1.88 76,157 4.85
1989–90 809,733 2.43 80,264 5.39
1990–91 839,320 3.65 84,805 5.66
1991–92 868,676 3.50 90,302 6.48
1992–93 889,692 2.42 95,605 5.87
1993–94 909,525 2.23 101,108 5.76
1994–95 928,669 2.10 106,757 5.59
1995–96 947,857 2.07 106,666 -0.09
1996–97 967,803 2.10 107,732 1.00
1997–98 981,382 0.96 110,465 2.54
1998–99 990,802 1.36 113,580 2.82
1999–2000 992,370 0.16 116,216 2.32
2000–01 994,293 0.19 118,206 1.71
2001–02 994,797 0.05 120,180 1.67
Data Source: See Table A for references.
Figure 2, shown on the following page, displays the data from Table I in an alternative
fashion.
54
Figure 2
A Comparison of Enrollment Growth
K–12 and Special Education Populations
in Washington State
Total Enrollment Special Education Enrollment
7.00
P
e 6.00
r
c 5.00
e
n
4.00
t
a
g 3.00
e
2.00
C
h 1.00
a
n 0.00
g
e
-1.00
82-83
83-84
84-85
85-86
86-87
87-88
88-89
89-90
90-91
91-92
92-93
93-94
94-95
95-96
96-97
97-98
98-99
99-00
00-01
01-02
School Year
Data Source: See Tables A for references.
55
The 1998–99 school year was the first year that race/ethnicity data were collected
(additional data will continue to be added as it becomes available). Comparisons of
Washington State total enrollment, special education enrollment, National total
enrollment and special education enrollment are depicted in Table K of this report.
Table J
Comparison of Washington and United States
Percentage of Ethnicity Categories to Total Special Education Enrollment
of Eligible Special Education Students Aged 3 Through 21
Based on the 1999–00 School Year
Disability Category Washington United States
Developmentally Delayed (3 to 5) 7.87% 8.42%
Developmentally Delayed (6 to 9) 0.84% 0.31%
Emotionally/Behaviorally Disabled 4.26% 7.58%
Orthopedically Impaired 0.76% 1.15%
Health Impaired 14.74% 4.09%
Specific Learning Disability 43.41% 46.27%
Mental Retardation 6.03% 9.90%
Multiple Disabilities 2.41% 1.82%
Hearing Impairment* 1.38% 1.16%
Visually Impaired 0.29% 0.43%
Deaf-Blindness 0.02% 0.03%
Communication Disordered 16.56% 17.56%
Autism 1.16% 1.05%
Traumatic Brain Injury 0.26% 0.22%
Totals 99.99% 99.99%
Data Source: OSEP 23rd Annual Report to Congress and February 1, 2000, Data Report to OSEP.
*Hearing impairment includes deafness and hearing impairment.
56
Table K
Comparison of Washington and United States
Percentage of Disability Categories to Total Special Education Enrollment
of Eligible Special Education Students Aged 3 Through 21
Based on the 1999–00 School Year
Ethnicity Category Washington United States
Special Total Special Total
Education Enrollment Education Enrollment
American Indian/Alaska Native 3.81% 2.74% 1.46% 0.95%
Asian or Pacific Islander 3.64% 7.17% 1.88% 3.92%
Black, Non-Hispanic 6.78% 5.16% 19.65% 14.06%
Hispanic 9.65% 9.59% 14.43% 16.78%
White, Non-Hispanic 76.12% 75.34% 62.58% 64.30%
Data Source: OSEP 23rd Annual Report to Congress, February 1, 2000, Data Report to OSEP and OSPI School
Enrollment Summary, School Year 1999–00.
57
58
Service Delivery Options
Special education and related services are provided to students in the least restrictive
environment. Districts report how students receive services in the four following general
placement areas as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.
Regular Class—Special education students receive a majority of their education
program with nondisabled children and youth; special education and related services
outside that classroom are received less than 21 percent of the school day.
Resource Room—Special education students receive special education and related
services outside the regular classroom for at least 21 percent, but not more than 60
percent of the school day.
Separate Class—Special education students receive special education and related
services outside the regular classroom for more than 60 percent of the school day.
Other, which includes:
Private and Public Residential Facilities/Nonpublic Agencies—Preschoolers,
children, and youth with disabilities reside and/or receive special education and related
services for greater than 50 percent of the day.
Homebound/Hospital Settings—Preschoolers, children, and youth with disabilities
who receive special education in medical treatment facilities or at home.
Within the state of Washington the average over the past three years has been close to
50 percent of special education students received special education and related services
in regular school buildings (which include regular classrooms, resource rooms, and
separate class placements). Specific settings in which special education services were
delivered are depicted in Figure 3 for the latest available data. A table with trend data
has also been added as Table L.
Beginning with the 1998–99 school year, data was collected from school districts for
special education students aged 3 through 5 in the following service settings. Figure 4
displays the latest available data for the percentage of students serviced within these
specific settings. Trend data can be found in Table M. Definitions of the service settings
for students aged three through five have been included for your information.
Early Childhood Setting—Children with disabilities, aged 3 through 5, who receive all
of their special education and related services in educational programs designed
primarily for children without disabilities.
Early Childhood Special Education Setting—Children with disabilities, aged 3
through 5, who receive all of their special education and related services in educational
59
programs designed primarily for children with disabilities housed in regular school
buildings or other community-based settings.
Home—Children with disabilities, aged 3 through 5, who receive all of their special
education and related services in the principle residence of the child’s family or
caregivers.
Part-Time Early Childhood/Part-Time Early Childhood Special Education Setting—
Children with disabilities, aged 3 through 5, who receive their special education and
related services in multiple settings, such that (1) a portion of their special education
and related services is provided at home or in educational programs designed for
children without disabilities, and (2) the remainder of their special education and
related services is provided in programs designed primarily for children with
disabilities.
Residential Facility—Children with disabilities, aged 3 through 5, who receive all of
their special education and related services in publicly or privately operated residential
schools or residential medical facilities on an inpatient basis.
Separate School—Children with disabilities, aged 3 through 5, who receive all of their
special education and related services in educational programs in public or private day
schools specifically for children with disabilities.
Itinerant Service Outside the Home (OPTIONAL)—Children with disabilities, aged 3
through 5, who receive all of their special education and related services at a school, a
hospital facility on an outpatient basis, or other location for a short period of time (no
more than three hours per week).
Reverse Mainstream Setting (OPTIONAL)—Children with disabilities, aged 3 through
5, who receive all of their special education and related services in educational programs
designed primarily for children with disabilities but that include 50 percent or more
children without disabilities.
60
Figure 3
Service Delivery Settings
of Special Education Students Aged 6 to 21
by Percentage in Washington State
Separate
Class Other*
15% 1%
Regular
Class
49%
Resource
Room
35%
Data Source: 2000-01 Federal Data Report submitted to OSEP 11/01.
*Private and public residential facilities, nonpublic agencies, and homebound/hospital
settings are included in the other category.
Table L
Service Delivery Settings of Special Education Students Aged 6 to 21
(Percentage)
School Year Regular Class Resource Room Separate Class Other*
2000-01 49.12% 34.66% 15.04% 1.19%
1999-00 50.81% 33.69% 14.18% 1.32%
1998-99 52.36% 32.26% 14.14% 1.25%
Data Source: 2000-01 Federal Data Report submitted to OSEP 11/01.
Table M
Service Delivery Settings of Special Education Students Aged 3 to 5
(Percentage)
School Early EC Home Part EC/ Other* Itinerant Rev.
Year Childhood Sped Ed Part Services Main-
Spec Ed stream
2000-01 21.71% 57.72% 0.59% 10.87% 1.00% 6.71% 1.40%
1999-00 21.44% 57.00% 1.01% 11.77% 0.90% 6.46% 1.42%
1998-99 23.82% 53.41% 0.69% 12.96% 0.26% 6.47% 2.39%
Data Source: 2000-01 Federal Data Report submitted to OSEP 11/01.
61
Figure 4
Service Delivery Settings of
Special Education Students Aged 3 to 5
by Percentage in Washington State
Iti ne ra nt Se rvices
Outsid e th e Home
(opti ona l)
6.71 % Re verse
Pa rt E arly Mai nstrea m
Ch il dho od/Pa rt Other* (opti ona l) Ea rl y Chi l dho od
Ea rl y Chi l dho od 1.00 % 1.40 % 21 .7 1%
Sp eci al Educatio n
10 .8 7%
Ho me
0.59 %
Ea rl y Chi l dho od
Sp eci al Educatio n
57 .7 2%
Data Source: 2000-01 Federal Data Report submitted to OSEP 11/01.
*Private and public residential facilities, nonpublic agencies, and homebound/hospital
settings are included in the other category.
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Special Education Personnel
Special education and related and supplementary services are provided by a variety of
dedicated personnel. Table N lists staff paid from special education funds for the 2000–
01 school year.
FTEs reported below do not include staff charged to basic education revenues as
in the past. Table N includes staff reported using excess cost resources only.
Table N
Special Education Staff Number Employed (FTE) Percentage of Total
Special Education Staff
Paraeducators 4,380.73 40.44%
Teachers 3,655.51 33.74%
Speech-Language 828.56 7.65%
Pathologists/Audiologists
School Psychologists 670.31 6.19%
Other Noncertificated Staff 456.41 4.21%
Occupational Therapists 269.10 2.48%
Administrators 190.15 1.76%
Other Certificated Staff 146.31 1.35%
Physical Therapists 121.34 1.12%
Counselors 42.77 0.40%
School Nurses 42.69 0.39%
School Social Workers 29.28 0.27%
Total FTE 10,833.16, 100.00%
Data Source: OSPI School District Personnel Summary Report 2000-01, Table 11.
The figures above also do not include regular classroom teachers and other staff who
provide services to students with or without disabilities as part of the regular education
programs.
Additional staff such as audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational
and physical therapists are contracted to deliver special education and related and
supplementary services. These data are not reported specifically to OSPI.
Paraeducators accounted for 40 percent of the special education staff reported in Table
N above. Training programs for teacher aides (paraeducators) continue to be an area of
focus for the state improvement plan performance goals and indicators. See section on
Performance Goals and Indicators starting on page 17 of this report.
Additionally, one of Washington’s state needs projects focus on paraeducators.
Information on the Bates Technical College (BTC) Paraeducator Training Program is on
page 75 of this report.
63
64
Special Education Funding
The percentage of local school district expenditures by activity and object are shown in
Figures 5 and 6. Activity expenditures are those associated with the major activities of
schools. As indicated on Figure 5 almost 92 percent of all direct expenditures are for
instruction and related services (support services and teaching). This percentage has
been consistent over time. These activities are considered direct services to students.
Figure 5
Distribution of Direct Expenditures for the
Education of Eligible Special Education Students
by Activity, 2000–01
80.00%
70.00% 67.59%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00% 24.40%
20.00%
10.00% 5.70%
2.31%
0.00%
Other Supervision/ Support Services Teaching
Administration
Data Source: OSPI 2000–01 F-196 Annual Year-End Financial Statements.
65
Object expenditures are those associated with the major line items in a typical school
budget. Almost 90 percent of the expenditures are for district direct service personnel-
related costs (certificated and classified salaries and benefits).
Figure 6
Distribution of Direct Expenditures for the
Eligible Special Education Students
by Object, 2000–01
50.00% 46 .4 0%
45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00% 20 .8 9%
22 .4 8%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00% 7.70 %
5.00% 1.58 %
0.66 % 0.29 %
0.00%
Other Travel Materi al s Co ntractual Be nefits Cl assi fie d Ce rtifi ca te d
Sa lari es Sa lari es
Data Source: OSPI 2000–01 F-196 Annual Year-End Financial Statements.
The percentage of expenditures for activity and object items listed in Figures 4 and 5 are
consistent of past school district spending practices. Most contractual services are also
for personnel costs. A district may contract with other districts to provide special
education and related services. Total personnel costs, including contractual
expenditures, are 97.47 percent of total direct expenditures.
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IDEA-B Funds
For FY 2001–02, the state of Washington was awarded $118,603,146 in IDEA funds
based on the December 1, 2000, child count of 118,851 eligible special education
students receiving special education and related services as defined in their
individualized education programs.
These funds were allocated across three broad areas: flow-through, discretionary, and
administration.
2001–02 LEA Flow-Through—Eighty-eight percent of the IDEA-B state grant funds
($104,916,462) was distributed to LEAs on a flow-through basis. LEAs received a total
of $544 plus poverty index per eligible special education students (aged 3 through 21)
receiving special education and related services as defined in their individualized
education programs.
2001–02 Discretionary Projects—2000–01 discretionary amount plus three percent
inflation, or $7,641,828, was used for discretionary projects.
Discretionary funds are utilized by the state in support of direct service provision to its
disabled population. Data are obtained to determine these needs by a variety of
constituency groups as well as legislative mandates.
Categories of discretionary funding allocations are adoptions, competitive requests for
proposals (RFPs), conferences, contracts, inclusion programs, institution mini-grants,
regional reallocation, regional SBD, safety net, second-year competitives, state needs,
summer institutes, state institutions, transition issues, and planning purposes.
2001–02 Administration—2000–01 administrative amount plus 2.56 percent inflation,
or $2,283,294, was used for state administrative costs.
The remainder of the monies were allocated to capacity building and improvement
grants totaling $3,761,563.
IDEA-B Section 619 Funds
For FY 2001–02, the state of Washington was awarded $8,343,791 in Section 619,
IDEA-B funds. This amount was based on the December 1, 2000, child count of 11,766
eligible special education students (aged 3 through 5) receiving special education and
related services as defined in their individualized education programs.
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2001–02 LEA Flow-Through (619 Funds)—LEAs received a basic allocation of $490
plus poverty index per eligible special education student based on the December 1,
2000, child count for a total of $7,121,429. LEAs (either single district or cooperatives)
applied for flow-through funds by completing the application and budget forms. LEAs
completed separate applications and budgets for IDEA and 619 funds.
2001–02 Discretionary Projects—Monies allocated to Section 619 preschool
discretionary projects was $932,529.
2001–02 Administration—Monies allocated to the administration of Section 619
preschool costs was $289,833.
Special Education Safety Net Funds
In 1995, the Washington State Legislature revised the state special education funding
formula for eligible special education students. Engrossed Substitute House Bill (ESHB)
1410 (Sec. 508) stated: ―In recognition of the need for increased flexibility at the local
district level to facilitate the provision of appropriate education to children with
disabilities and the need for substantive educational reform for a significant portion of
the school population, the funding formula for special education is modified. These
changes result from a 1994 study and recommendations by the Institute for Public
Policy and the Legislative Budget Committee, aided by the Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction and the statewide task force for the development of special education
funding alternatives. The new formula is for allocation purposes only and is not
intended to prescribe or imply any particular pattern of special education service
delivery other than that contained in a properly formulated, locally determined,
individualized education program.‖
In conjunction with the funding formula change, ESHB 1410 (Sec. 508) required that a
special education safety net system be developed and implemented to provide a process
whereby school districts that demonstrated additional funding needs for special
education programs beyond the amounts provided in the funding formula could access
additional funds. Conditions under which a school district can apply for safety net
funding are:
Maintenance of State Revenue. Maintenance of state revenue funding is calculated
by OSPI to maintain 1994–95 special education revenues in aggregate (total dollars)
or per funded pupil, whichever is less. The maximum award amount is recalculated
monthly by OSPI and displayed with monthly apportionment reports (Report 1220-
SNET).
Students Above the Funded Percentage. This application is for districts with 3–
21-year-old special education students over the maximum state-funded enrollment
percentage.
68
Other Factors. This application is for districts whose special education costs exceed
available revenues due to factors other than students above the funded level or high-
cost individual students. The district is required to complete Worksheet A to
demonstrate financial need and Form SPI 1381-OTHER FACTORS. The required
narrative in Form SPI 1381-OTHER FACTORS should explain the factors affecting
the district and justify the need for safety net funding. The narrative must
convincingly demonstrate to the Safety Net Oversight Committee that the presence
of factors is beyond the district's control and is not attributable to district philosophy
or service delivery style. The application narrative and supporting documentation
should provide a clear explanation of the impact of other factors on the number of
students served and the severity of needs of students. The financial impact of each
factor identified should be supported in the application narrative. Prior to submitting
an Other Factors application, the district must first exhaust their eligibility for
Maintenance, Percentage, and High-Cost Individuals awards.
High-Cost Individual Students. This application is for districts whose special
education costs exceed revenues due to the presence of one or more high-cost
individual student(s).
Following is a summary of safety net applications and awards for the 2001–02 school
year.
2001–02
Summary of Safety Net Applications Funding
By Category Requested Awarded Percentage
MOESR Funding $1,537,539 $1,429,599 92.98%
Percentage Funding $9,620,605 $5,386,862 55.99%
High Cost Individual Funding $7,633,019 $4,798,946 62.87%
Other Funding $269,607 $113,936
TOTALS $19,060,770 $11,729,343 61.54%
By Funding Source Available Requested Awarded Balance Percentage
Total Funding of State Dollars $8,500,000 $11,427,751 $6,930,397 $1,569,603 60.65%
Total Funding of Federal Dollars $2,750,000 $7,633,019 $4,798,946 -$2,048,946 62.87%
TOTALS $11,250,000 $19,060,770 $11,729,343 61.54%
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2001–02
Summary of Safety Net Applications by ESD
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
DISTRICTS APPLICATIONS PERCENTAGE
APPROVED APPROVED BY OF
BY
NUMBER OF STATE STATE APPLICATIONS
DISTRICTS NUMBER OF OVERSIGHT OVERSIGHT APPROVED
ESD APPLYING APPLICATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE BY ESD
101 (Spokane) 20 27 17 18 66.67%
105 (Yakima) 4 8 4 7 87.50%
112 (Vancouver) 9 17 9 15 88.24%
113 (Olympia) 17 20 16 18 90.00%
114 (Bremerton) 9 20 8 16 80.00%
121 (Seattle) 13 17 10 11 64.71%
123 (Walla Walla) 9 16 8 9 56.25%
171 (Wenatchee) 10 16 10 15 93.75%
189 (Mount Vernon) 17 30 13 20 66.67%
TOTAL 108 171 95 129 75.44%
Percent Approved 87.96% 75.44%
2001–02
Summary of Safety Net Applications by Request Category
MOESR PERCENTAGE HCI OTHER TOTALS
Total Number of
Applications 34 66 71 2 173
Percent of Total
Applications 19.65% 38.15% 41.0416% 1.75% 100.00%
Number of Applications
Approved by State
Oversight Committee 32 43 54 1 130
Percent of Total
Applications
Approved by State
Oversight Committee 94.12% 65.15% 76.06% 50.00% 75.14%
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Reform Efforts and Special Education Within
Washington State
The 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) promote
improved student achievement for students in special education programs. Federal and
state regulations require that Individual Education Programs (IEP) include a statement
of annual measurable goals to meet the student's needs to enable the student to be
involved in and progress in the general curriculum (i.e., the same curriculum as for
nondisabled students). The state shall establish goals and report progress toward those
goals for special education students that are consistent, to the maximum extent
appropriate, with the state's four learning goals and the essential academic learning
requirements (EALRs) for all students. The regulations also require that students be
included in state and district-wide assessment programs; and the scores of students in
special education programs must be included for purposes of public reporting and
school and district accountability.
State Performance Goals
The OSPI Special Education section recently completed work on a State Improvement
Plan (SIP) that is aligned with school reform efforts. Goal 1 of the SIP is to improve the
academic performance of students receiving special education services. The Washington
Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) has been the primary component of the state
assessment program that measures student progress toward state goals and EALRs in
listening, reading, writing, mathematics and science. Alternate assessments are
administered for those special education students who are unable to participate in all or
some of the WASL, even with accommodations.
Assessment Options
The IEP team determines how an individual student participates in the state assessment
programs, including the WASL. There are four options for IEP teams to consider during
the 2002–03 school year for participation in this component of the state assessment
system:
WASL,
WASL with accommodations,
Alternate assessment performance tasks, and
Alternate assessment portfolio.
A document was produced this year to assist IEP team members in making assessment
decisions, Guidelines for IEP Teams in Determining WASL Assessment Options for
Students in Special Education Programs, December 2002. This document is available
from the OSPI website at
http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/spedassessment/spedassessment.asp.
71
Assessment Results
The goal for the WASL assessment program was to account for the performance of all
students. Participation rates and performance results for special education students in
grades 4, 7, and 10 can be found on page 17 of this report.
For additional information, contact:
Nancy Arnold narnold@ospi.wednet.edu
360-725-6089
http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/spedassessment/spedassessment.asp
72
Inclusion Project
The 1997 legislature mandated that up to 1 percent of the federal appropriation for
special education should be expended on projects using inclusive strategies when
providing special education services. This authority is found in Engrossed Substitute
Senate Bill 6108, Chapter 346, Laws of 1998, Biennial Operating Budget. The inclusion
project continues to be reauthorized for projects using inclusive learning strategies.
The following are project sites and activities for 2001—02:
Orchard Center and Seth Woodward Elementary, West Valley Spokane
Students continue to make gains in classrooms that accommodate individual needs. All
the special education students made reading gains over the year when tested with
informal reading tests, fluency tests, and the Woodcock Johnson Reading Battery. Seth
Woodward was one of the one hundred Washington schools recognized for high WASL
scores.
Columbia School District, Burbank
Columbia Elementary and Columbia High School have joined the middle school as part
of the inclusion team. Staff received high-quality professional development that has
been integrated into teaching and learning.
Kulshan Middle School, Bellingham
The middle school has a strong network of practicum and student teachers from
Western Washington University learning with the staff. The school is in its fourth year of
curriculum integration with interdisciplinary teams.
Nathan Hale High School, Seattle
Ninth/tenth grade looping with inclusive classes has expanded to the eleventh grade.
This high school was highlighted with Superintendent Bergeson in a television special as
one of Seattle’s outstanding high schools.
Sumner School District, Sumner
The nine elementary, three junior highs, and one high school are all part of the inclusive
learning environment. Each school’s leadership team directs the inclusion goals and
objectives for the school year.
Staff from the inclusion sites presented at conferences throughout the year to share their
inclusion practices. Every school coordinates efforts to receive visitors to observe
inclusive strategies in the classrooms.
New Horizons for Learning is the web site dissemination support for the inclusion
project. The web site has a new format and continues to be updated on a quarterly basis.
The inclusion sites are listed on the website with current learning and teaching
strategies.
73
For more information regarding this project contact:
Kathy Bartlett kbartlett@ospi.wednet.edu
360-725-6088
http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds
_intr.html
74
State Needs Projects
Projects funded out of federal discretionary monies that benefit the state as a whole or
would not otherwise be available in a given region are known as ―state needs‖ projects.
Projects that may be provisoed by the Legislature for a given cycle would also fall into
the state needs category.
AUTISM OUTREACH PROJECT
The Autism Outreach Project will develop a state-wide system in which the
identification, program development, placement, and staff development activities for
students with autism are coordinated to ensure that all school districts, parents,
agencies, and students are appropriately served throughout the state of Washington.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Autism Outreach Project autism@esd189.org
205 Stewart Road http://www.esd189.org/autism
Mount Vernon, WA 98273 888-704-9633
BATES TECHNICAL COLLEGE (BTC) PARAEDUCATOR TRAINING PROGRAM
The purpose and mission of the BTC Paraeducator Training Program is to provide
appropriate, accessible, and affordable training with college credit to paraeducators or
those wishing to enter the field. Through the use of technology and distance learning
modalities, it is the goal of the program to reduce or eliminate the barriers that prevent
paraeducators from obtaining adequate and appropriate training.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Carole Brewer cbrewer@bates.ctc.edu
Elaine Kurlinski ekurlinski@bates.ctc.edu
Paraeducator Training Program www.bates.ctc.edu/page.asp?view=957
Bates Technical College 253-680-7232 (voice)
1101 S. Yakima Ave. 888-872-7221 (toll free)
Tacoma, WA 98405-4985 253-680-7047 (tdd)
75
BEACONS–BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL ASSESSMENT AND CURRICULUM
FOR THE ONGOING NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH OR AT RISK OF DEVELOPING
EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE
BEACONS is founded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and Washington State's Office of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
BEACONS collaborates with four model demonstration sites in Washington State to
better meet the educational needs of children with or at risk of developing severe
behavior disorders (BD) or emotional disturbance (ED).
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Bridget Walker bawalker@u.washington.edu
University of Washington http://depts.washington.edu/beacons1
Experimental Education Unit 206-221-3441
PO Box 357925
Seattle, WA 98195-7925
CENTER FOR CHANGE IN TRANSITION SERVICES
The Center for Change focuses on the changing practices of special education students in
the transition from school to adult life.
The center collaborates with many partners, including OSPI, DSHS, DVR, and the
University of Washington.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Cinda Johnson cindajoh@u.washington.edu
Pat Brown pabrown@u.washington.edu
Center for Change in Transition Services http://depts.washington.edu/ccts
University of Washington 206-543-4011
Box 357925, Room 130
Seattle, WA 98195
FAMILY EDUCATOR/PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (FEPP)
The purpose is to help create partnerships between families, educators and community
agencies to support children and youth that need special education services. Family
educator partnerships are changing the ways that families and educators work together
to ensure educational success for children with disabilities.
76
FEPP Partnership Team Training promotes strong-shared leadership within a
school district to bring a positive, proactive approach to planning services for children
with disabilities. These teams commonly include parents, the special education director,
teachers, paraeducators, general education staff, community representatives and
others. This training is offered regionally.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
FEPP/ARC of Washington FEPP@arcwa.org
2600 Martin Way East, Suite D www.arcwa.org/FEPP.htm
Olympia, WA 98506 360-357-5596 (voice)
888-754-8798 (toll free from within
Washington State only)
SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER (SETC)
In the state of Washington, the Special Education Technology Center is designed to
assist school districts with the special technology needs of special education students. It
provides technology resources that are otherwise difficult to find or access. SETC
provides:
Collaborative technology planning for specific students whose disabilities require the
use of some form of assistive technology in order to fully access their education.
A lending library of toys, switches, augmentative communication devices, alternate
keyboards and other computer input devices, environment control devices and
software designed for students with special needs.
Staff development on topics including assistive technology overview, augmentative
communication, alternate computer input, software solutions and environment
control.
SETC supports:
All public school districts in the state of Washington and the personnel who work in
those districts.
Any student, preschool through age 21, who formally receives special education
services and who may require assistive technology to access their education.
Families of special needs students. (Services must be accessed through the school
district serving their child.)
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Ann Black/Doris Hayashi blacka@cwu.edu
Central Washington University hayashid@cwu.edu
400 E. 8th Ave. http://www.cwu.edu/~setc
Mail Stop 7413 509-963-3350 (Main Office)
Ellensburg, WA 98926 253-752-4275 (Western Wa Office)
77
WAEYC EARLY CHILDHOOD INCLUSION PROJECT
The IDEA Early Childhood Inclusion Grant Project supports school districts and their
community programs in collaborating to create inclusive early childhood classrooms for
children aged 3 to 5. The project provides small planning grants, training, and technical
assistance to local collaborative teams.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Adga Buchard/Selena Allen agda@waeyc.org
827 N Central Ave selena@waeyc.org
Suite 106 www.waeyc.org
Kent, WA 98032 (253) 854-2565
WASHINGTON SENSORY DISABILITY SERVICES (WSDS)
The WSDS provides information, training, technical assistance, and resources to
families and educators statewide regarding children and youth with sensory disabilities
– students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired, or deaf-blind.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
WSDS www.wsdsonline.org
400 SW 152nd St WSDS@psesd.wednet.edu
Burien, WA 98166 800-572-7000 (V/TTY)
WASHINGTON STATE PARENT TO PARENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS
Learning that your child has a disability can be a traumatic experience. Parents have
many questions and concerns in coping with their child's needs and their own feelings.
Personal support from another parent who has a child with similar needs can be helpful
in coping with these challenging experiences and feelings. ―Helping Parent‖ volunteers
are available to provide support and information.
Ethnic Outreach: Parent to parent ethnic outreach offers culturally relevant services.
Staff can direct you to community resources for your entire family.
Services offered:
Local county coordinators
Emotional support for parents of children with disabilities
Information on disabilities
Information on community resources for child and family
Parent support meetings
Trainings for parents who want to become a ―Helping Parent‖ volunteer
78
Presentations to a variety of groups and organizations
Educational workshops
Monthly newsletters
Susan Atkins www.arcwa.org/parent2parent.htm
State Parent to Parent Coordinator statep2p@earthlink.net
800-821-5927
WASHINGTON STATE SPECIAL EDUCATION TRAINING FOR ALL (STAFF AND
PARENTS) (WSSETA)
Free six-hour workshops provided by the Washington Education Association's Parent
Educator training project are available to all interested parties. During these six-hour
workshops, training is provided by a parent and an educator. The emphasis is not only
on rights and responsibilities but also on building lasting relationships while working as
a team. The latest rules and regulations and state forms are used in this training and
each training indicates the paraeducator competencies that are addressed.
Sample trainings include: Special Education and the Law; Section 504 Accommodations
and Specially Designed Instruction (SDI); Evaluation and IEPs; General Education and
Special Education - Better Together; and Discipline and Behavior Interventions.
WEA clock hours are available.
The Parent Educator Relations Coordinator works with the WEA Disabilities
Coordinator and the Special Education Cadre Trainers to help:
Increase knowledge of the reauthorization of IDEA.
Increase awareness and understanding of Ed Reform and how it relates to special
education.
Assure a parent/family perspective is maintained throughout all trainings.
Encourage more joint training between and among teachers, parents and
paraeducators.
Assist educators, families and community members to access existing information on
the Internet.
Share information about other training and information available from other groups.
Encourage and assist with expansion of training to improve skills of educators and
parents with students with behavioral difficulties.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Christie Perkins cperkins2@mindspring.com
253-588-0637
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Additional Projects and Activities
SPECIAL EDUCATION MEDIATION PROGRAM
When parents and school personnel disagree about the educational program for a
special education student, either party may request a mediation. It is an optional
alternative to a due process hearing. Mediation is a form of dispute resolution in
which an impartial mediator assists disputing parties in a collaborative problem solving
process. Mediators help parents and school personnel resolve conflicts, clarify issues,
and develop mutually acceptable agreements to best meet the educational needs of the
student. Mediation lends itself to the development of a positive working relationship
between parents and school district personnel.
Mediation is:
Voluntary for parents and school districts.
Completely confidential.
An informal and collaborative process.
At no cost to either party.
Nonadversarial.
Less time consuming than a due process hearing.
Does not delay or deny the right to a due process hearing.
Special education mediation services are available at no charge to parents or school
districts. Mediation is funded by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
What can special education mediation do for you?
Resolve disagreements concerning identification, evaluation, or educational
placement of a student.
Encourage mutual problem solving efforts.
Promote positive working relationships between parents and school personnel.
Help parents and school personnel focus on what they have in common: the student.
Data on the mediation program can be found on page 26 of this report.
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For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Greg Abell grega@somtg.com
Karen Davis karend@somtg.com
Sound Options Mediation and Training www.somtg.com
Group, L.L.C. 206-842-2298 (Seattle area)
P.O. Box 11457 800-692-2540/800-833-6384 (toll-free)
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 800-833-6388 (toll-free TTY)
206-780-5776 (fax)
Medicaid—The purpose of RCW 74.09.5256 is to obtain federal Medicaid
reimbursement for health-related services provided by school districts to Medicaid-
eligible special education students in the state of Washington. OSPI is designated as the
administrative agent for program implementation. To assist in that process, OSPI
selected Leader Services to serve as statewide third party billing agent. Current
legislation requires that all districts maximize their billings potential. During the ten
years of the Medicaid Reimbursement Program, Washington school districts have
generated $137,000,000 in billings. This reimbursement program is responsible for
introducing approximately $66,000,000 new federal dollars into Washington State for
special education programs. As of the 2001-02 school year, 271 school districts are
eligible to participate in the billings process.
For additional information regarding this project, contact:
Carol Nolan cnolan@ospi.wednet.edu
360-725-6075
OSPI Special Education Web Site—The OSPI Special Education section has a web
site, http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed. The site includes all current and important
information available from the OSPI Special Education office. Most information will be
posted to our web site before it is even available in hard copy. Please check this site
monthly to receive important updates from OSPI. All of our publications are available
from this site and are usually in a word processing application, html, or pdf files. The
Internet addresses of OSPI Special Education staff are listed on pages 11 and 12 of this
report.
For additional information regarding this web site, contact:
Sandy Grummick speced@ospi.wednet.edu
360-725-6075
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Products Available (Print and Web site)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Handbook (5/94)
Evaluation and Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education: Children Who
Are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (1/97)
Family/Educator Guide (Available in Cambodian, English, Korean, Russian,
Spanish, and Vietnamese) (8/02)
Guidelines for Participation and Testing Accommodations for Special Populations
on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) (9/02)
Identification of Students with Learning Disabilities (1/02)
Information About Dispute Resolution Mechanisms for Special Education Students:
Mediation, Citizen Complaints and Due Process (5/01)
Orientation-Level Training for School Employees Who Administer Oral
Medications to Students (8/01)
Procedural Safeguards Due Process Procedures for Parents and Children (also
available in Cambodian, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese) (4/02)
Productive Learning in a Safe Environment (2/99)
Special Education and the Law: A Legal Guide for Families and Educators—What
Parents and Educators Should Know About the Laws and Court Decisions That
Affect the Education of Students with Disabilities in Washington State (2/98)
Special Education and Institutional Directory (11/02)
Special Education Rules and Regulations (4/02)
Standard Forms for Services to Students in Special Education (7/00) (also available
in Cambodian, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
Successful Assistance in the Classroom: A Teacher's Guide to Working with
Paraeducators (10/02)
Teacher's Guide for the Portfolio Component of the Washington Alternate
Assessment System (10/02)
Technical Assistance Paper No. 1: A Review of the Basics (5/99)
Technical Assistance Paper No. 2: Discipline Procedures Under IDEA Regulations
(6/99)
Technical Assistance Paper No. 3: Special Education Regulation Changes for Birth
to Three Services (4/02)
Toward a Comprehensive System of Care: An Investment Strategy for Children
and Youth in Washington State. Task Force on Behavioral Disability Final Report
(7/99)
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Products Available (Web site only)
Adaptations are Essential (1/01) Available on CD-ROM or from the Special
Education Web site.
Directory of Secondary Transition Services Model Sites in Washington State
Developed at the Center for Change in Transition Services. A collaborative endeavor
of OSPI, DSHS, and UW.
Guide to Functional and Vocational Evaluation. Developed at the Center for Change
in Transition Services. A collaborative endeavor of OSPI, DSHS, and UW.
Parent & Educator Guide to FAPE under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 (11/02) Developed and published by the Puget Sound Educational Service
District, Burien, Washington.
Post-School Status Report, 2001 Special Education Graduates (5/02).
Post-School Status Report, 2000 Special Education Graduates (4/01).
Post-School Status Report, 1999 Special Education Graduates (5/00).
Post-School Status Report, 1998 Special Education Graduates (1/99).
Transition Guide (9/00) Developed at the Center for Change in Transition Services.
A collaborative endeavor of OSPI, DSHS, and UW.
Videos and CD-Roms
Videos Available:
Special Education in Washington State: It’s the Right Thing to Do! (9/93)
Exploring ADHD as a Health Impairment (3/95)
CD Available:
Adaptations are Essential (1/01)
Connecting Ideas, Edition 2 (8/02)
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