Top Ten Reasons There are many reasons to use The

Top Ten Reasons There are many reasons to use The Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Process. The top ten reasons include: #01 It will help improve the quality of services to children. #02 It will provide accurate and accessible information for parents and teachers. #03 It will provide a basis for training parents and teachers. #04 It will provide a basis for form development since the federal regulations are blended with state statutes. #05 It will provide a parameter for determining policies, procedures, and operating guidelines for special education programs. #06 It will allow districts to build capacity. #07 It will assist districts with accountability issues. #08 It will guide districts in completing corrective action plans. #09 It will provide an overall guide to the Child-Centered Special Education Process. #10 Location. Location. Location. Historical Perspective by Mary Cole, Texas Education Agency State Leadership Project for the Texas Education Agency The Legal Framework for the ChildCentered Process is a template in an electronic format that summarizes state and federal requirements for special education by topic. Schools may use the Legal Framework as a reference in managing the special education system’s procedures and records to ensure accountability that each student is provided the benefits of a free appropriate public education and that relevant special education data is accessible and used in managing system change for continuous student performance and program improvement. The Legal Framework takes us beyond the previous state sample forms and is intended to communicate state and federal requirements for the content of the records without infringing upon a school’s authority to maintain and manage its records. The Legal Framework is intended to support a district’s efforts to eliminate costly and unnecessary paperwork while maintaining due process protections and tailoring services to the needs of students. The Framework accommodates the shift of focus within state and federal rules to an emphasis on accountability for measuring how well our children with disabilities are served. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE CHILD-CENTERED PROCESS A SPECIAL EDUCATION GUIDE FOR PARENTS Provided and Produced by Region 18 Education Service Center www.esc18.net What Is It . . . The Legal Framework for the ChildCentered Process is an electronic roadmap that will open up our world of knowledge. This tool can be used for electronic crisis diffusion. It is a dynamic document that could be considered a webbased product with the intent to assure compliance with forms, anecdotal reports and process. Why Use It . . . • For customizing the unique student needs • For improving the quality and effectiveness of student programs • For quick legal reference for parents and teachers • For exploration of myths and manipulated reasoning • For reliability • For validity • For accountability issues • For friendly use by all • For guidance in the realm of policies, procedures, and operating guidelines • For prevailing at hearings • For clarity of forms • For crisis diffusion • For quality—not quantity—on forms or documents • For effectiveness When To Use It . . . • As a method to inform and educate parents • As an overview of the child-centered process • As an accountability tool • As a means of training parents and teachers • As a form developer • As a guide for policies, procedures, and operating guidelines • As a capacity builder • As a means of quality control • As a program review • As a legal reference In a Nutshell . . . The Legal Framework for the ChildCentered Process is: • A web-based product • A constantly updated guide • An accountability tool Black and Blue . . . The “BLACK” items indicate requirements to be documented in the special education process. They can be addressed on forms or by a representative statement in a written dialogue. The “BLUE” items are requirements, which must be reflected in practice. How To Use It . . . • Go to the Region 18 ESC Website (www.esc18.net) and take off! • Surf to your heart’s desire!!!!! Region 18 Education Service Center P.O. Box 60580 Midland, Texas 79711-0580 Phone: 432.563.2380 Fax: 432.567.3290 Website: www.esc18.net