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In this weeks issue:  

• Reminder of Missouri State Plan Part B Meetings

• Curriculum for Students with Significant Disabilities

• Preventing Reading Difficulties and Reading Failure

• 2006 Tax Benefits for Parents of Children with Disabilities

• Missouri Youth Leadership Forum

Proposed Changes to Missouri State Plan Part B

The  Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will hold public hearings regarding the State regulations for special education as required for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The purpose of the hearing is to receive comments from persons interested in special education services for children ages 5K to 21. Public hearings are scheduled for the following dates and locations from 4:00pm-6:00pm.

Wednesday, February 7th

Columbia Public Schools

Smithton Middle School, Cafetorium

2600 W. Worley

Columbia, MO 65203

Thursday, February 8th

Special School District of St. Louis Co.

Board Room

12110 Clayton Rd

Town & Country, MO 63131

Wednesday, February 14th

Kansas City Public Schools 

Manual Career Technical School

1215 E Truman Rd.

Kansas City, MO 64103

Links Proposed Changes:

Regulation I – General Provisions

Regulation II – Confidentiality
Regulation III – Identification and Evaluation

Regulation IV – FAPE/IEP/LRE

Regulation V – Procedural Safeguards/Discipline (*Note proposed changes to Hearing Officer Requirements)

Regulation VI – DESE Responsibilities

Regulation VII – LEA Eligibility

Regulation VIII – Private Schools

Regulation IX – Funding

Regulation X – Special School Districts

Regulation XI – State Operated Programs

Regulation XII – “Severely Handicapped”* Students and Contracted Placement Reimbursement (SHCPR)

Individuals who require accommodations to attend a public hearing need to contact the Division of Special Education at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at least 72 hours prior to the event, (Telephone 573-526-7605or RELAY in Missouri: 1-800-735-2966 TDD).

Copies of the proposed changes to the regulations for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will be available for review during regular office hours in the Office of the Assistant Commissioner, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 205 Jefferson Street, Jefferson Building, 4th floor, Jefferson City, MO. The proposed changes are also available on the Division of Special Education website at: http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/PublicHearing05/index.html.  

Deletions appear in red text, and additions appear in blue text.

Written comments regarding the State regulations may be submitted to the Coordinator, Special Education Services, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO. 65102-0480 or via email at idea.comments@dese.mo.gov by close of business on Februrary 27, 2007.

Following the comment period, the State regulations will be submitted to the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education and the Missouri State Board of Education for final approval. 

Date: February 7, 2007

For the past three years, Parent Advisor services for families of children birth through two years old with sensory impairments have been provided through the First Steps system and Parent Advisor services for the families ages 3 through 5 have been provided through local school districts and IEP provisions.

Effective January 1, 2007, the Missouri School for the Blind's Missouri Statewide Parent Involvement Network (MoSPIN) and Missouri School for the Deaf's Early Intervention Outreach Services will resume recruiting, training, and assigning Parent Advisor's as part of the re-implementation of services to families.

Through MoSPIN and Early Intervention Outreach Services, trained Parent Advisors visit the family's home on a regular basis to instruct parents on a variety of issues unique to their child. The instruction is based on nationally recognized curricula.

Programs currently contracting directly with individual Parent Advisors to provide services will no longer need to do so effective July 1, 2007.

All new Parent Advisor services for families of children birth through five will be processed and paid directly by MSB or MSD rather than LEAs or First Steps.

For additional information, please contact: Ginny Williams, MoSPIN Lead Parent Advisor for Missouri School for the Blind, ginwilliams@aol.com or Robyn Fleming, Lead Parent Advisor of the Early Intervention Outreach Services for the Missouri School for the Deaf, moparlf@hotmail.com.

This Newsletter can also be accessed on MPACTs website at: www.ptimpact.com/resources/newsletters/newsletters.htm