Find the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s December 4, 2020 report on K-12 Special Education HERE.
Find the December 14, 2020 presentation to the Commission HERE.
Find State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Virginia Department of Education response, December 14, 2020 HERE.
Background:
In 2018, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) directed its staff to review Virginia’s K–12 special education system. Staff were directed to review school divisions’ identification and eligibility determination processes; the processes used to determine where students with disabilities will receive their education; student outcomes; the adequacy of training and expertise in special education across school divisions; the effectiveness of the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) monitoring, guidance, and support; and spending trends in special education. (See Appendix A for the study resolution.)
To address the mandate, JLARC staff analyzed student- and state-level data on the enrollment, placements, discipline, and outcomes of students receiving special education, data on state and local spending on special education services, and data related to VDOE’s monitoring efforts. Staff interviewed school division special education directors, special education teachers, VDOE staff, parents, advocates, staff from education agencies in other states, and other stakeholders, including special education experts at Virginia’s special education Training and Technical Assistance Centers. JLARC staff also surveyed school division special education directors and parents of students receiving special education services and reviewed research literature on topics related to special education.
A Question and Answer guidance document from the Office of Civil Rights, US Department of Education that addresses how the Americans with Disabilities Act amendments of 2008 impact students with disabilities. This particularly impacts students who have a 504 plan or are eligible for protections under Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Q and A guidance document from US Dept of Educ
A presentation by FFF Director Kelly Henderson for the NAMI of Virginia Family and Youth Virtual Summit on May 16, 2020. Includes some COVID-related specifics at conclusion of the session.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), through grant funding provided by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) and assistance provided by the Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at James Madison University has developed five web-based training modules for parents, school professionals, and other community stakeholders that work with families whom have a child with a disability. Parents and caregivers have certain goals in mind when their children go to school. Regardless of whether or not their children have disabilities, all parents want their children to learn, explore, and experience as much as they possibly can. Parents strive for their children to complete their public education, obtain a diploma, and be fully prepared to move on toward their chosen path, whether that is immediate employment, higher education, or something else. In order for children to achieve these goals, there are certain decisions that will have to be made along the way. The modules created relate to the Critical Decision Points for Families of Children with Disabilities curriculum and are designed to assist participants in understanding four things as they prepare to make these decisions:
There are a total of five modules that range in length from three to five minutes, which can be completed in a single viewing or broken up over time to meet individual time constraints.
The curriculum for these modules is also available in print and online. A fully accessible online version is located at the following web link: Virginia Department of Education’s Special Education – Parents Section. To obtain a printed copy of the curriculum or to ask questions about the module training opportunities, please contact Tracy Lee, Family Engagement Specialist, via email, at Tracy.Lee@doe.virginia.gov, or by phone, at (804) 225-3492.
This website provides a one-stop-shop for parents, families and caregivers of children with special needs to:
Parents and families can and do make a difference in their child’s education.
This one pager from the new Northern Virginia Family Network (NVFN) designed for professional staff who work with families and youth. It offers some brief, straightforward suggestions and reminders about effectively communicating and building partnerships with families who are in need of education, mental health, disability and other services and supports.
Members of the NVFN are found on the back of the flyer.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) website brings together IDEA information and resources from the Department and our grantees.
A 16 page list of possible accommodations for children and youth with disabilities, that might be appropriate for 504 plans and individualized education programs (IEPs).
Some students with mental health challenges and other conditions may be considered students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; some may also be considered students with disabilities who require special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Learn more about Section 504 with this Parent and Educator Resource Guide on Section 504 from the US Department of Education.
