2013 Webinar Series
Working Together When We Don’t Agree ● Autism 101 Reading Basics ● Virtual School for Students with IEPs Ask the Expert with Kelly Orginski ● Progress Monitoring Ask the Expert with Mark McWilliams ● IEP 101 in Arabic The Importance of the PLAAFP Statement ● IEP 101 en español IEP Supports and Services, including accommodations and modifications
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2013 Lunchtime IEP Learning Webinar Series
IDEA and Virtual Education:
Challenges and Opportunities
Mark McWilliams, I&R&E Team Michigan Protection & Advocacy
Service, Inc. (MPAS) Updated June 2012
“Virtual learning is not for every
student, but it’s not science
fiction either. Right now in
Michigan, it’s being used by
thousands of students in
hundreds of virtual courses in
urban, rural, and suburban
school districts.”
Virtual Education
o
One million students took an online
course in 2007-8.
o
175,000 students attended full-time
online schools.
o
40 state schools reported 536,000
Virtual Education
Types of virtual education:
o
Private programs.
o
Single district programs.
oMulti-district programs.
oState programs.
Opportunities
10 Elements of Digital Learning,
developed in December 2010,
released by “Digital Learning Now,”
an initiative managed by the
Foundation for Excellent Education
along with the Alliance for Excellent
Education.
Digital Learning Standards
o
Access for all students.
o
High quality digital learning for all.
oCustomized digital learning for all.
oDemonstrated competency by all.
oHigh quality course content for all.
oHigh quality instruction for all.
Digital Learning Standards
o
Access to multiple quality providers.
oStudent learning is the measure of
content and instructional quality.
o
Funding encourages performance,
innovation, and options.
Challenges
Access to programs.
Responsibility for identification,
evaluation, and FAPE.
Staff qualifications (in online
environment, across state lines).
Segregation.
Access to Programs
Participation rates…
o
For all students:
13.2%
o
For students with IEPs: 6.2%
(Melissa Greenwood, LRP Special Education
Access to Programs
U.S. Office for Civil Rights, Dear
Colleague Letter, 5/26/11:
“Schools at all levels must ensure equal access to the educational benefits and opportunities … and equal treatment in the use of technology for all students, including students with disabilities.”
Access to Programs
U.S. Office for Civil Rights, Dear
Colleague Letter, 5/26/11 (FAQ #11):
“Equivalent programming” may meet
504/ADA standards if it (1) provides the same information, (2) is timely, and (3) is no more difficult to use than that
Access to Programs
In Quillayute Valley School District (WA), 11/16/07, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights found that a school district violated
Section 504 by (1) denying admission based on the need for special education services, and (2) applying different
FAPE
Technology-based instructional programs are not assistive technology devices or services.
But they can be provided if necessary to ensure FAPE, as determined by each child’s IEP team.
FAPE
U.S. Office of Special Education
Programs, Letter to Barnes, 12/18/03: “The IDEA statute and its corresponding
regulations do not make any exceptions or allow states to waive or relax [IDEA’s] requirements for virtual schools.”
Multistate Programs
In Elkhart Unified School District 218 (KS), 3/26/08, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights found that a school district operating a
multi-state online program did not violate Section 504 by failing to locate, identify and evaluate a child with a suspected
disability, but did fail to provide notice of procedural safeguards and contacts.
Multistate Programs
From Elkhart:
“OCR realizes that the online education of an out-of-state student presents a
unique situation. The fact that the [student] is in a different state
complicates the usual procedure of identification and evaluation.”
Multistate Programs
From Elkhart:
o School may limit offering of special
education services and may encourage student to stay in their home school.
o School must offer accommodations and
modifications to its curriculum, and must provide notice of procedural rights.
Federal Activities
In late 2011, OSEP awarded a $7.5 million grant to develop the Center for Online
Learning and Students with Disabilities. The Center is a joint venture between the
University of Kansas, the National
Association of State Directors of Special Education, and the Center for Applied
Practice Facts
David is 11 years old and is an
aspiring performance artist. He also
has a traumatic brain injury and
associated emotional challenges.
He is struggling in school, and his
parents are thinking about moving
him to a virtual program.
Practice Questions
David’s parents ask their school about the district’s virtual education program, but are told the program is not open to
students with IEPs unless the student has a minimum GPA and parents sign a paper that they will supervise at home.
Practice Questions
After discussion, the school agrees to
allow David to enroll in the online class, but he would have to participate from
the special education classroom which only had a dial-up Internet connection.
Practice Questions
After further discussion, the school agrees to allow David to use the library
computer. They ask his parents to agree to stop his school social work services because they cannot provide IEP
services for an online student.
Practice Questions
Frustrated, David’s parents pull him out of school and try to enroll him in an online class based in Kansas. The Kansas
district e-mails a copy of the procedural safeguards but does not offer any
special education supports and will not allow use of David’s text reader.
Thank you for coming to
this session!
Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS)
4095 Legacy Parkway, Suite 500 Lansing, MI 48911
(517) 487-1755 or (800) 288-5923 www.mpas.org
2013 IEP Webinar Series
michiganallianceforfamilies.org/webinar
Contact us! info@michiganallianceforfamilies.org
1-800-552-4821 And remember to like
Michigan Alliance
This presentation is made possible through an Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Mandated Activities Project awarded by the Michigan Department of Education. The
Michigan Department of Education complies with all federal laws and regulations
prohibiting discrimination and with all requirements and regulations of the U.S.
Department of Education. State Board of Education Members John C Austin President Casandra E Ulbrich Vice President Nancy Danhof Secretary
Marianne Yared McGuire Treasurer Richard Zelle NASBE Delegate Kathleen N Straus Board Member Daniel Varner Board Member Eileen Lappin Weiser Board Member
Ex-Officio
Rick Snyder Governor
