The document summarizes the Office of Innovative Projects and their role in providing training and technical assistance for early childhood special education programs in Michigan. It discusses the office's infrastructure, history of key special education laws and policies, and their work providing outreach and resources for programs like Early On (Part C of IDEA), Project Find (Part B), and Response to Intervention. The office aims to connect families with information and supports through various public awareness campaigns and online/social media channels.

1. Office of Innovative Projects
MI Head Start Training & TA
May 10th, 2010
Victoria Meeder,
Public Awareness Supervisor
and
Christy Callahan, Director

2. Topics for Today
1. Office of Innovative Projects
2. Early On (Part C of IDEA)
3. Project Find (Part B of IDEA)
4. Response to Intervention - Intersect
with Child Find
5. Resources to Connect

3. Who are we?
• Clinton County RESA
• Office of Innovative
Projects
• DeWitt
• Statewide grant-funded
projects

4. Infrastructure
• Management team (3)
• Trainers/TA Specialists (6)
• Public Awareness Specialist (1)
• Statewide Trainers (2)
• Support Staff (3 full-time; 4 part-time)

5. History of Public Policy - Legal Milestones
1954 1964 1965 1971 1972 1973 1975 1986 1990 1991 2001
U.S. Supreme Elementary &
PL 94-142
Court Decision Secondary
Education PL 102-119
Ruling in Brown Education Act ,
for All Americans with
v. Board of now known as Head Handicapped Disabilities Act
Education of NCLB - Start Children Act
Topeka, Kansas Improving
(EAHCA)
that "separate Outcomes for
(Ages 5 - 18)
but equal" is Children. 2001 ESEA
unconstitutional "Closing the Reauthorized
Achievement Section 504
of the PL 99-457 to No Child
Gap" Left Behind
Michigan State Rehabilitation Amendment to
Constitution, Act , ED for Handicapped
Article 8, Protecting Children Act
Section 8, Individuals with (Ages Birth to 21)
Civil Rights Public Law 198 Disabilities PL 99-457 EHA
Act of (Birth to 3) & against Reauthorized IDEA Individuals
(Ages 6 to 26) Discrimination with Disabilities Education Act
1964

6. Early On – Part C of IDEA
• Birth to age 3
• Early intervention
system of services for
infants and toddlers
• Broader definition of
eligibility than special
education

7. Nature of the work
• Especially young and
vulnerable population
• Home visits
• Parents and babies
• Strategies to
support development
in the home
• Period of rapid
development

8. Timeline for EO Services
Days are calendar for Part C/Early On unless otherwise
noted
• Referral to Consent to Evaluate by 10 days
• Referral to initial IFSP meeting by 45 days
• Referral to IFSP completion by 60 days
• IFSP completion to services by 30 days

9. Nature of the work
Lots of federal regulations and state policy.
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Service Coordination
Components of an Evaluation
Authorization to Share Information
45-Day Timeline to Initial IFSP Mtg,

10. Child Find Mandate
Part B Part C
All children with disabilities residing • Requires a system for
in the State are making referrals
identified, located, and evaluated. • Requires states to
• Mandated: identify, locate, and
– Homeless children evaluate all eligible
– Migrant children infants/toddlers.
– Children advancing from grade to • Central Directory
grade with a suspected disability • Specifies
– Native Americans subpopulations :
• Priority Audiences: Indian children,
– Non-English Speaking migrants, homeless,
Communities (Spanish & Arabic) those in foster care.
– Parents of younger youth (Pre-K –
6th)
– High school drop outs

11. Child Find – Part B
§ 300.131 Each LEA must locate, identify, and evaluate all
children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in
private, including religious, elementary schools and secondary
schools located in the school district served by the LEA.
The child find process must be designed to ensure—
(1) The equitable participation of parentally-placed private
school children; and
(2) An accurate count of those children.
In carrying out the requirements of this section, the LEA, or, if
applicable, the SEA, must undertake activities similar to the
activities undertaken for the agency’s public school children.

12. Response to Intervention (RTI)
Congress added new provisions to federal education
laws:
• No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
– accountability
– school improvement
– adequate yearly progress (AYP)
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
– effective instruction
– progress monitoring
– early intervening services

13. NCLB and IDEA 2004
• Companion laws that address closing the
achievement gaps
• Underscore importance of high quality, scientific,
research-based instruction and interventions
• Hold schools accountable for the progress of all
students in meeting grade level standards

14. Response to Intervention is…
the practice of providing high-quality
instruction/intervention matched to student needs
and
using learning rate over time
and level of performance
to
inform educational decisions
Source: NASDSE. Response to Intervention: policy considerations and implementation and
IDEA Partnership, 2007.

15. An Example Tiered RTI Model
Significantly Low Insufficient Response
Underachievement to Intervention
Tier 3: INTENSIVE
INTERVENTIONS
Tier 2: TARGETED
INTERVENTIONS and
progress monitoring
Academic Behavior
Tier 1: CORE ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL
INSTRUCTION; UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS; universal
screening and INSTRUCTIONAL and BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTIONS

16. RTI Steps
Step I: Universal Supports for all students
Step II: Data review by Problem Solving Team
Step III: Targeted interventions and progress
monitoring for struggling learners
Step IV: Intense interventions and progress
monitoring for struggling learners
Step V: Referral to special education when student
demonstrates little or no response to targeted
interventions
Step VI: General education and special education
personnel collaboratively teach and monitor student
progress; adjust IEP and services as needed for eligible
students

17. Response to Intervention –
Potential Conflict
Remember: RTI is implemented within the
context of general education
Interface with Child Find responsibilities
• a parent has the right to request an
evaluation at any time (§ 300.301)
• http://RTInetwork.org - A Parent's Guide to
Response to Intervention, National Center
for Learning Disabilities

18. Child Find in Michigan

19. ProjectFindMichigan.org

20. Project Find Statewide Outreach Efforts
Statewide Watch Me
Display Board Grow Calendar
at Conferences

21. Project Find Outreach
Wayne County -
The Detroit Department of
Transportation
Genesee County - Mass
Transportation Authority
(Flint)
Kent County - “The
Rapid” - Grand Rapids
Transit Authority

22. Materials for Outreach
Students
Parents of Parents of High school
advancing from
children youth drop out
grade to grade
Pre-K -5th 6th – 9th grade prevention
with a
Grade suspected
disability

23. Order Public Awareness Products
Brochures & Bookmarks Developmental Wheels
Growth Charts
Magnets

24. New Outreach Tools for ECSE
Copy text:
Sometimes the signals are small
one: Some trouble in school,
speech problems, learning that just
seems too hard. Understanding a
developmental or learning delay is
the first step to getting help for
your child. Project Find provides
information and assessments to
make sure that your child is ready
to learn and succeed. This help is
free. So don't worry but don't wait.
Call us or visit
ProjectFindMichigan.org for
more information.

25. Outreach Tools for ECSE
Copy text:
Sometimes the signals are small
one: Some trouble in school,
speech problems, learning that just
seems too hard. Understanding a
developmental or learning delay is
the first step to getting help for
your child. Project Find provides
information and assessments to
make sure that your child is ready
to learn and succeed. This help is
free. So don't worry but don't wait.
Call us or visit
ProjectFindMichigan.org for
more information.

26. Follow Our Twitter "Tweets"
http://twitter.com/ChildFindMich

27. Join Early On Michigan On Facebook

28. SlideShare Channel

29. 1-800-252-0052
ProjectFindMichigan.org
1-800-EARLY ON
1800EarlyOn.org
1-866-334-KIDS
eotta.ccresa.org