Greetings from the DPA Special Education Program!

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year. I want to welcome new special education coordinators or leads to our schools and welcome back those returning as we embark on a terrific school year for staff, students and parents.

During July and August, the DPA special education staff have been busy reviewing and providing technical assistance for IDEA Part B school applications for the 2024 - 2025 school year. Their efforts ensure that schools secure the necessary funds to offer instructional support to students with disabilities. The DPA special education program allocates IDEA Part B funds to schools to ensure that all children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education, emphasizing specially designed instruction to meet their unique needs.

The BIE is committed to providing children with disabilities with the best conditions for learning while complying with federal regulations. Evaluations and services for eligible students are provided as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). Individualized Education Program Teams determine the necessary accommodations, supports and related services for a child to make adequate progress in the general education curriculum.

It was great to see many of you during the 2024 summer training held in Phoenix and Albuquerque, where we came together to network, connect, learn and grow. Both locations drew over 300 participants from schools, ERCs, EPAs and ADDs committed to ensuring systems are in place to ensure students with disabilities will live, learn, work and participate in their communities.

BIE’s Procedural Safeguards

The DPA special education staff looks forward to connecting with you through our newsletters throughout the new school year.

Dr. Eugene Thompson (Diné), Supervisory Education Specialist

BIE offered several summer trainings for educators, administrators and staff in Phoenix and Albuquerque. More than 600 BIE employees convened for three days of in-person, hands-on training. Topics included IDEA program requirements and allowable use of Part B funds; IDEA SPP/APR indicators & school determinations; discipline of students with disabilities; Least Restrictive Environment; and secondary transition, graduation and post-school outcomes.

Two DPA IDEA Education Specialists attended and presented at the 2024 Tribal and School Leaders Summit in Rapid City, South Dakota, in July. The two sessions on "Understanding BIE School Determinations" and "Understanding IDEA Part B funds allowable costs" were well received by attendees.

Like all states, the BIE issues annual determinations to all local education agencies or BIE-funded schools. The DPA utilizes multiple measures, including compliance and results indicators, to calculate the determinations. In August, the DPA issued FFY 2022 Determinations, which use SY 2022-2023 data, to all BIE-funded schools. Congratulations to the 60 schools identified as Meeting the Requirements in implementing IDEA!

Thank you to the schools who completed their SY 2023-2024 special education parent surveys. BIE DPA is currently analyzing the data collected and will share results in the coming months. The data collected will be reported to the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Also, in 2025, BIE will share the updated parent survey for all schools to use with parents of students with disabilities for this annual survey. For any questions, please contact Melanie Star.

The BIE’s special education policy is close to being finalized. The solicitors are providing a final review, and we will have updated information in upcoming newsletters.

The BIE Advisory Board for Exceptional Children will hold a three-day in-person and online meeting to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 for Indian children with disabilities. The next Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for September 25-27, 2024, at Cherokee Central Schools in Cherokee, North Carolina, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EDT). This meeting is open to the public and can be accessed online or in person.

Topics covered during the September meeting include the following:

• A campus tour of Cherokee Central Schools
• BIE Director Office updates
• DPA IDEA - Update about the BIE Special Education Policy & Procedures
• Develop and finalize the 2024 Advisory Board Annual Report
• Special Education updates from the Associate Deputy Director Regions: Bureau Operated Schools, Navajo Region and Tribally Controlled Schools
• Three Panel Discussions: Early Childhood Transition, Secondary Transition and Behavior/Discipline
• Five public commenting sessions offered to the general public
• Work on the January 2025 meeting logistics, complete draft agenda and identify presenters with presenter questions

For further information about the advisory board, contact Jennifer Davis, Designated Federal Officer, Jennifer.Davis@bie.edu, or mobile phone (202) 860-7845.

I am Jennifer Davis, a member of the Navajo Nation. Originally from Nazlini, Arizona, my upbringing was in Window Rock. I am Kiis'ainii (Sun Clan - Hopi), born for the Tábąąhá (Water’s Edge). My maternal grandfathers are Naakétł’áhí (Flat Foot People clan – Gila River Pima); and paternal grandfathers are Táchii’nii (Red-Running-Into-The-Water-Clan). Currently, I reside in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix, with my adult daughters Nicole and Kim, son-in-law Hector, and three granddaughters, Autumn, Selene, and Elaine. With a legacy of long-term federal service, my maternal grandparents and parents worked for the government between 35 and 50 years. As of March 2024, I completed 32 years of federal service, dedicating my career to enhancing services for American Indian children.

As an Education Program Specialist for the BIE/DPA/Special Education Program, I thoroughly enjoy my job, its challenges, and the people I meet. My responsibilities include serving as the IDEA Part B Data Manager and the Designated Federal Officer for the BIE Advisory Board for Exceptional Children.

Before my current role, I rejoined the BIE in 2014 as the Johnson O'Malley Program Coordinator in Washington, D.C. Earlier, I was with Indian Health Services as the Education Supervisor/Special Education Teacher at Desert Visions Youth Wellness Center, a regional treatment center for American Indian adolescents in Sacaton, Arizona. My efforts there included establishing partnerships with local schools, organizations, and community colleges and creating DV's education program, which now includes an online accredited distance education program, a full K-12 curriculum, a GED program, and support services for Native students in higher education.

For more than 25 years, I have worked with children from infancy to 21 years old across various educational settings, including special education, general education, adult basic education and higher education. My past positions include roles within BIE-funded schools in the Navajo Nation and Gila River Indian Community, as well as employment with the Phoenix Union High School District, Gila River Tribe, and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Indian Education.

My academic credentials include a B.A.E. in secondary education from Arizona State University, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the Univ. of Phoenix, and an M.Ed. in Special Education from Pennsylvania State University. I hold Arizona licensure as a superintendent, principal, and kindergarten through 12th grade special education teacher.

Beyond my professional life, I cherish the time spent playing with my granddaughters. I engage in hobbies such as working on irrigation lines, laying pavers, tiling and carpeting floors, and refinishing furniture when possible. I have played the clarinet with the Navajo Nation Marching Band since 1975 and will continue to play. I’ve also marched with the Arizona State University Marching Band and performed with the Arizona State University Orchestra.

The BIE DPA continues to contract with LRP Media Group to provide three valuable resources for teachers and staff at all BIE-funded schools. The BIE has a statewide subscription to Ed Connection®, DirectSTEP® eLearning and ESEA Now®.

• Special Ed Connection® provides resources and tools that help you understand special education requirements and services and how they work, as well as successfully address the legal and implementation issues of serving students with disabilities.
• ESEA Now® provides your school with an authoritative, all-in-one, objective hub for learning about and sharing important program components. ESEA Now® delivers information such as meeting the needs of homeless students, proven school improvement strategies, Preparing for a Title I monitor visit, complying with fiscal requirements and much more.
• DirectSTEP® online courses merge legal and regulatory expertise with real-world application strategies, relating education law to the day-to-day world of teaching and learning. Staff can learn at their own pace. This product saves your organization from spending money on staff travel, and courses can be used to train parents and provide them with a resource to better advocate for their children.

If you have questions, need more information, or would like to set up an orientation so you and your staff can learn more about these valuable resources, please contact Kelly Whiting, LRP’s Customer Relationship Manager, at 800-515-4577 x8311 or kwhiting@lrp.com or Jennifer Davis, DPA Education Specialist at Jennifer.davis@bie.edu or (202) 860-7845.

NASIS Micro Training Series

• Session 1 – Secondary Transition Components; Passcode: +s6iAmpN
• Session 2 – Secondary Transition Components Continued; Passcode: $s*QCW9X
• Session 3 – NASIS Module IEP Editors; Passcode: *205YAKq
• Session 4 – New Look IEP module changes; Passcode: @zOb4sw&
• Session 5 – NASIS Infinite Campus IEP review Micro Training; Passcode: 01tSbwY%
• Session 6 – IEP Module Team Meeting Participants Page; Passcode: C4bK8m.h
• Session 7 – IEP Module Problem Solving; Passcode: +!I^V8HQ
• Session 8 – IEP Module Open Discussion; Passcode: !bc2*2L&

We will inform schools when a recorded webinar will be done and then email it to them. Once that is done, the SY 2024-25 application will be posted in Native Star. For further information, refer to the required school reports section of the newsletter for timelines or contact Laura Tsosie, laura.tsosie@bie.edu.

The DPA/Special Education Program conducted the LSPP webinar on 8/28/2024. Please contact Dr. Eleanor Jones to request a copy of the PowerPoint slides or the BIE LSPP Guidance document. View the LSPP webinar. The LSPP recording starts at 2.05.00. When the link opens, slide the timer to 2.05.00, then press the triangle > to start. The passcode for the recording is: @yP@zeP1

If you have questions about the LSPP, contact Dr. Eleanor Francis-Jones, Education Specialist, at Eleanor.Jones@bie.edu or call (202) 860-7885.

Post-School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

Transitioning from school to adulthood can be a pivotal moment in a student's life. For students with disabilities, these post-school outcomes can vary widely based on a multitude of factors. Understanding these outcomes is crucial for educators, families and BIE leadership in developing and supporting successful transitions.

Here are key aspects of IDEA related to PSO:

• Transition Planning
• Requirement for Transition Services: IDEA mandates that transition services be included in the Individualized Education Program for students beginning no later than age 16 (or younger if deemed appropriate). This plan aims to prepare students for post-secondary education, employment and independent living.
• Focus on Specific Outcomes
• Individualized Goals: The IEP must outline measurable post-secondary goals based on students' strengths, interests and preferences. This includes goals related to education and training, employment and independent living skills.
• Collaboration with Agencies
• Coordinated Planning: IDEA encourages collaboration with outside agencies that can provide support and services to achieve post-school outcomes. This may involve community organizations, vocational rehabilitation services and other relevant programs.
• Monitoring and Assessment
• Data Collection: IDEA requires states to track post-school outcomes for students with disabilities to assess the effectiveness of transition services and improve practices. States must report data on employment, education and other outcomes for youth with disabilities.
• Focus on All Students
• Inclusive Practices: IDEA emphasizes that transition planning should be a focus for all students with disabilities, ensuring that they have equal opportunities to succeed in post-school life.

IDEA recognizes the significance of post-school outcomes as a critical component of the education and development of students with disabilities. By establishing a framework for effective transition planning and support, IDEA aims to enhance the ability of these students to lead fulfilling and independent lives after graduation.

Post-school outcomes for students with disabilities are essential for understanding their success in transitioning to adulthood. By focusing on employment, further education, independent living, community engagement, and health, school staff and local and Tribal communities can better support these individuals and improve their overall quality of life. Tracking and enhancing PSO can lead to more effective educational policies and practices that foster independence and success in the community.