IN*SOURCE

This is an informal Q & A session designed to help you get answers you need to best support our DCS involved youth. Presented by Melaina Gant, Director, Education Services and ESSA Point of Contact for the Department of Child Services (DCS).

In preparation for this presentation, participants are strongly encouraged to view the presentation, "Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) & Supporting Foster Youth as Students"

This presentation may be found on Moodle. Moodle link to the course is copied below. If you don't have an account, you can create one for free:

https://moodle.doe.in.gov/course/view.php?id=346

A major intent of federal and state law in special education is to encourage positive working relationships between parents and schools. The use of effective communication techniques can enhance collaborative relationships and minimize conflict. This presentation will address building positive relationships between parents and schools, verbal and nonverbal communication, types of communicators and strategies for building communication skills.

In today's social climate, conversations about race seem inevitable. Parents are challenged with deciding when and how to have these conversations. Some parents may wonder, is there an age too young to talk about race? Silence about race can reinforce racism by allowing children to draw their own conclusions. These conclusions are shaped by society and can lead to implicit bias. Come learn strategies on identifying and minimizing implicit bias and leave equipped with tools to guide your discussion with children about race.

Presented by:

Redgina Hill, PhD Founder & CEO Redgina Hill Consulting, LLC

Resources described during the presentation:

Anderson Cooper Kid's Talk on Race
https://vimeo.com/12352000

What Kind of Asian Are You? - Microaggression video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWynJkN5HbQ

Children's Books
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/childrens-books-about-race-and-racism

The Presentation will begin with an overview of Article 7 and how we are legally bound to address AT for each student uniquely and annually. Next, the IIEP system will be examined, with specific attention to the exact places where AT is required to be addressed and concrete examples shared. Then, accommodations within the IEP will be focused on, giving special interest to the accommodations that directly address AT and are also a part of the statewide assessment accommodations. The session will end with planning for successful implementation of AT supports the Top 5-10 common pitfalls to avoid when addressing AT and testing and conclude with Q&A with the IDOE Assessment Accessibility Specialist.

The Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed by then President Obama in 2015, includes significant protections and supports for foster youth, who are an extremely vulnerable and underperforming population of students. Leaning heavily on the mandates outlined within ESSA, Indiana has established a highly collaborative process between child welfare and education state-level agencies, and the local schools/corporations to help identify and provide increased stability for foster youth.

Individuals participating in this webinar can expect the following:

Learn about the specific requirements of ESSA as they relate to foster youth.
Learn who the state points of contact are for foster youth at the Department of Child Services and the Indiana Department of Education, and have access to their contact information.
Learn about requirements for local foster care points of contact within each school/corporation.
Learn about collaborative process for determining educational best interest placement for foster youth.
Understand the difference between the school of origin and transitional school/corporation, and their responsibilities in supporting foster youth through ESSA.
Learn about resources to increase knowledge and application of ESSA to support foster youth.

Guest speakers, Melaina Gant, M.Ed, Department of Child Services, and Jeff Wittman, Indiana Department Of Education, will be sharing information about how to serve foster youth across Indiana in a manner that helps them to reach their unique potential.

Inclusion in special education is the education of all students, regardless of ability, in the general education setting. Students with special needs may require special aids and services in order to be served in the general education setting. Research supports better outcomes for all students when children of all abilities are included. This training dispels myths, discusses research, and cites federal laws that support the inclusive education of children with special needs. Parents will learn how to use the principles of federal law (IDEA) to talk to their school team about inclusion.

Las conferencias de casos pueden ser confusas y estresantes para los padres. Esta sesión ayuda a los padres a identificar temas de preocupación, organizar documentos, preparar información y comunicarse de manera efectiva durante la conferencia del caso. Esta clase ayudará a los padres a convertirse en el mejor defensor de sus hijos y a construir relaciones positivas con el personal de la escuela.

A Parent Training and Information Center (or PTI) is a terrific information resource for parents of children with disabilities. Every state has at least one PTI. In Indiana, the PTI is the Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs or IN*SOURCE. This webinar will provide information about IN*SOURCE and the services we provide to parents and families of children with special education needs and to professionals in the disability community.

The second part of our webinar will focus on our parent support volunteer program, what it is, and how you can join other parents who support our efforts of helping families throughout the state.

An individualized education program (IEP) is a written document, developed by the case conference committee, that describes how a student will access the general education curriculum and the special education and related services needed to participate in the educational environment. This presentation will provide an overview of the components of the IEP and emphasizes parent involvement in the development of the IEP for their child.

Participants will learn about the new requirement for all students with an IEP beginning with the class of 2023 to have a transition portfolio. Information will be provided about the format, expectations, and desired outcomes for transition portfolios. Participants will be able to understand how portfolios will be developed, what a portfolio will look like for different individuals, and how the portfolio will be a part of the transition planning process.

Guest Speaker Michelle Oja is an Education Specialist for the Indiana Department of Education within the Office of Special Education. She is the Education Specialist overseeing transition planning (Indicator 13), pre-employment services, graduation pathways, Career and Technical Education, and Choice Schools. She graduated from Nazareth College of Rochester with her bachelor’s degree in English and Inclusive Education and her master’s degree in Adolescent Education. Michelle recently moved from Virginia to Indiana. Before coming to the IDOE, she was a special education teacher working with high school and middle school students for the past ten years.