POSTINGS & NOTICES  

The 2009-2010 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Special Education Preschool Application is now available in MEGS online.  Application due date is July 1st.

Memo regarding Transition Guide   

Transition Guide      

Transition Timeline    

Self-Assessment for an Early Childhood Transition Infrastructure   (see description below)

ECSE/619 Preschool Grants Allocations 2008-2009

IDEA 619 Estimated Awards 4-20-09

ARRA IDEA Preschool Est. 2010 Memo

NEW OSEP Bubble Sheet Instructions SIDE 1

NEW OSEP Bubble Sheet Instructions SIDE 2

What are Preschool Services and where are they located?
Michigan Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services include special instruction and related services provided to young children, ages three through five, who qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA, Part B, Section 619). Through its fifty-seven Intermediate School Districts (ISDs ),  Michigan's ECSE program ensures the provision of a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to all eligible children at no cost to their families, and in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). LRE means that young children with disabilities should receive services in typical community-based early childhood settings and programs whenever possible, and only go to more restrictive or specialized settings when their individual needs require it.       

Who is eligible?
Young children ages 3 through 5 who have a disability as defined by one of the categories listed below are eligible for preschool services provided through the local school system.  In Michigan, the categories of disability include:

How does a child become eligible?
Starting with the ISD Child Find office, a children can receive services to identify any areas of concern for further assessment by a multidisciplinary team.  Following completion of assessments, the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Team, of which parents are essential members, meets to review and discuss findings in order to make a determination of eligibility under one of the established disability categories.

What happens next?
The IEP Team works together to develop the IEP, a written document identifying the special education and related services necessary to support the child's development and educational program. The IEP allows everyone with a role in teaching and nurturing the child to understand what the child will need to grow and prosper, and the particular role they can play as a supportive member of the child's team.

Services identified on an IEP might include special instruction, speech and language therapy, physical and occupational therapy, assistive technology devices and services, psychological services, and other services identified by the IEP Team as necessary for the child to benefit from participating in an educational program.

Where can services be provided?
After the IEP is developed and agreed upon by the IEP Team, the next important step in the process is to identify the setting, or Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), in which the child's special education and related services needs can be met. Appropriate LRE settings for preschool children can include a preschool special education class in (or closest to) the neighborhood school, local preschool program, or local Head Start program.

For more information about Michigan Early Childhood Special Education Programs, contact the ISD Child Find office, or the Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services.

Child Outcome Summary Forms (bubble sheets)
Send to:
Director of Research High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
600 North River Street
Ypsilanti, MI   48198-2898

Submission Deadlines are November 1 and June 30 Please review online training materials for assessment and submission procedures.

To obtain more Child Outcome Summary Forms:

If you are a local district, your ISD houses the forms.  Request forms from your ISD -         

ISDs - Send requests to Heidi Ducker at duckerh@michigan.gov .  Please include how many forms are needed and name and address to send forms.   

ONLINE TRAINING       

REPORTING PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR SPP INDICATOR 7

NOTE: This training is comprised of two five-part presentations; one by the Michigan Department of Education and the other by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.  If you have not had this training, please view both presentations in their entirety. 

MICHIGAN DEPARMENT OF EDUCATION (five-part presentation)

1. INTRODUCTION - MDE

2. ASSESSMENT TOOLS - PART 1

3. ASSESSMENT TOOLS - PART 2

4. COLLECTING THE DATA

5. THE BIG PICTURE

HIGH/ SCOPE (five-part presentation)

1.   INTRODUCTION - HIGH/SCOPE

2.   OUTCOMES AND CATEGORIES  

3.   THE SEVEN-POINT RATING SCALE  

4.   The REPORTING PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR SPP INDICATOR 7:      ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND ALIGNMENTS    MANUAL

5.   THE BUBBLE SHEET        

RESOURCES  

Self-Assessment for an Early Childhood Transition Infrastructure - The self-assessment is intended to be used by an interagency/local leadership team with regard to their own system or community.  Based on discussions of their ratings, team members can identify practices to undertake in order to enhance areas that need work and reinforce areas of strenght in regards to Early Childhood Transition from Part C to Part B policies and procedures.           

Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten

Reporting Preschool Special Education Outcomes for SPP Indicator 7     (manual)   

FAQs - Reporting Preschool Special Education Outcomes (SPP Indicator 7)

Visual Instructions for the MI OSEP Child Summary Data Collection Form for 3-5 Year Olds   ("Bubble Sheet")

7-Point Rating Scale Definitions

Reporting Progress in Federal Reports

Project Find - www.projectfindmichigan.org              

Are you having difficulty learning? Do you know a child who is struggling in school? Project Find is a Mandated Activities Project, funded by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services. Project Find conducts continuous public awareness and referral activities designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible all children, youth, and young adults with disabilities who may be eligible for special educational services through Michigan's Administrative Rules for Special Education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B.

Center for Educational Networking (CEN) - www.cenmi.org/                                                                       

The Center for Educational Networking (CEN) is an Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Mandated Activities Project of the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (OSE-EIS). As a statewide education information network, CEN provides products and services that assist education stakeholders to improve outcomes of ALL Michigan students.

Division for Early Childhood -  www.dec-sped.org/                                                                                     

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) is one of seventeen divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) - the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. DEC is especially for individuals who work with or on behalf of children with special needs, birth through age eight, and their families.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities - www.nichcy.org/Pages/Home.aspx   

NICHCY stands for the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. We serve the nation as a central source of information on disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth; IDEA, which is the law authorizing special education; No Child Left Behind (as it relates to children with disabilities); and research-based information on effective educational practices.

Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children -  www.miaeyc.org/                              

The Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children is committed to improving the education and welfare of children from birth through age eight. MiAEYC works for young children, their families and early childhood professionals. MiAEYC supports the professional development of its members through quality training, materials and services.

Bridges 4 Kids - www.bridges4kids.org       

Bridges4Kids operates Michigan's most comprehensive website providing parents, educators, and others the information they need to help children who might be at-risk or have special needs. It is updated daily and includes information on child development, education issues and opportunities, and extensive disability, gifted, at-risk, parenting, and teaching resources.

Michigan Alliance for Families -  www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/     

Michigan Alliance for Families provides information, support and education to families of children and adults with disabilities from birth to age 26 who are in the educational system.  The purpose of the project is to increase the involvement of families in their children's education and the educational system in general.

Staff:

Noel Cole, Consultant
517-241-6354 
colen@michigan.gov

Heidi Ducker, Secretary
517-241-1521
duckerh@michigan.gov