1. Background/Trend Data:
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

Publication Name	Number Copies Disseminated in 2002-03
Special Education in New York State for Children, Ages 3-21: A Parent's Guide	175, 047
Revised Procedural Safeguards Notice	134,800
Resolving Concerns About Your Child's Special Education Services	109,280
Information for Parents of Preschool Students with Disabilities	56,300
Information dissemination to parents through the Special Education Training and Resource (SETRC) network	33,952
Information dissemination through VESID parent centers	17,600
Information and referral through Early Childhood Direction Centers (ECDC)	13,675
See Appendix 3: List of Policy Publications Developed and Disseminated in 2002-03

2. Targets
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

• Develop a brochure for parents on resolving concerns about their child's special education services.

• Revise the State mandatory Procedural Safeguards Notice.

• Provide materials on special education to families whose primary language is not English in four different languages (Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Haitian-Creole) including a Parent’s Guide and Procedural Safeguards Notice.

• Develop standardized letters to assist the Special Education Quality Assurance staff in responding to complaints filed by parents and other individuals and communicating with districts on the status of corrective action plans.

• Develop policy, procedures and guidelines to ensure compliance with regulations and law and disseminate information to parents via field memoranda, Department technical assistance networks, training and the web.

3. Explanation of Progress or Slippage
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

• Five specific publications were developed and disseminated regarding due process by March 2002.

• The Parent's Guide and the Procedural Safeguards Notice which provide information to parents on special education programs and services and due process rights were provided in English and four different languages for parents whose primary language is not English.

• All policy memoranda developed were disseminated to school district personnel, parent networks, and training networks. All policies were placed on the web and sent to groups and individuals on the VESID list serve.

• VESID has greatly increased the amount and kinds of information available on its web site. Updates and additional information are available weekly.

• VESID currently funds five parent centers, three in New York City, one on Long Island, and one in the Western New York area. The Centers provide ongoing outreach, training and information dissemination for parents. Staff members reflect diverse cultures and languages of the community to encourage parent access to services. VESID Parent Centers also provide training and information dissemination to teachers, school administrators, and staff members from a broad spectrum of agencies and community-based organizations.

• VESID’s 15 Early Childhood Direction Centers (ECDCs) provide training and technical assistance to parents of preschool children suspected of having a disability. In 2002-2003, the ECDCs assisted 9,279 parents of children ages 0-5, and 3,403 parents were trained.

4. Projected Targets
   (for next reporting period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004):

• 100 percent of parents will have information on special education programs and services available to them.

• 100 percent of parents will receive the Procedural Safeguards Notice and the Parent's Guide.

• 10 percent increase in the number of parents who respond to the parent satisfaction survey of the impartial hearing process.

• 100 percent of VESID's advisory groups will have parents as required members (e.g. Commissioner’s Advisory Panel, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Steering committee and Quality Assurance Advisory Group).

• The Parent's Guide and the Procedural Safeguards Notice will be available for families whose primary language is not English in the top five languages.

5. Future Activities
6. Projected Timelines and Resources
   (for next reporting period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004 and on going):

(Note: All activities will be completed by VESID staff except where noted.)

• Continue to develop and disseminate information on special education and their due process rights to parents.

• Update the Procedural Safeguards Notice to be consistent with any regulatory or statutory changes.

• Continue to update the Parent's Guide and translate into languages other than English.

• Continue to ensure that parents are represented on all advisory committees.

1. Background/Trend Data:
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

See Cluster I - General Supervision, Table GS, I, II, III (Complaints and Monitoring)

2. Targets
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

See Cluster I - General Supervision, Table GS, I, II, III (Complaints and Monitoring)

3. Explanation of Progress or Slippage
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

• VESID Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) has implemented two types of Parent Forums as one component of the QA focused review process. These meetings are designed to seek input from parents of students with disabilities on various aspects of their experiences with their school district and special education programs. The forums are designed to elicit statements from the parents on both positive aspects of special education within their district and areas in need of some improvement. These statements are then included in the district’s Quality Assurance Review Final Report.

• Parent surveys continue to be included in all QA reviews. At present, four parents of children with disabilities sit on the Statewide Quality Assurance Advisory Group, which has advised SEQA throughout the multi-year development of the QA system.

• Of the 7 percent of impartial hearing satisfaction surveys returned from parents, 92 percent responded that they were treated in a respectful and fair manner.

• The Transition Coordination Sites piloted a survey focused on the initiation of transition services, which will now be included in the VESID Data Collection Process. Parent involvement in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process was one area of focus.

4. Projected Targets
   (for next reporting period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004):

(See Cluster I - General Supervision, Table GS, I, II, III (Complaints and Monitoring).

5. Future Activities
6. Projected Timelines and Resources
   (for next reporting period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004 and on going):

• The Parent Forums were continued in 2003-2004 and will be continued in future years. VESID will investigate additional strategies to encourage parent participation in the Parent Forums.

1. Background/Trend Data:
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

2. Targets
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

• Maintain parent involvement on VESID advisory groups.
• Maintain capacity to provide parent training in the SETRC network.
• Continue to involve parents in review of appropriate policy documents and publications.
• Involve parents in appropriate Department initiatives to effect systems change.
• Implement home-family involvement programs in local school districts.

3. Explanation of Progress or Slippage
   (for reporting period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003):

• Parents are engaged in VESID advisory groups, work groups and committees. They are involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of special education policies. Parents are required members of the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Steering committee, Quality Assurance Advisory Group, and other advisory groups who provide feedback to the Department on issues relative to students with disabilities.

• Regional plans have been developed for each Joint Management Team area to provide required training for parents on a variety of topics. The SETRC network’s ten regional trainers are available to provide regional training to parents on a variety of topics based on regional needs.

• The mandated Procedural Safeguards Form was developed by SED and is revised on an on-going basis. It is required to be provided to parents as per regulatory requirements. Eight parents from across the State were part of the advisory group that assisted in the development of the original procedural safeguards. This form was also reviewed by numerous other parent groups.

• The School Support Projects are designed to develop and demonstrate systemic changes that allow selected schools to integrate mental health services into schools and increase family support efforts needed to assist students with significant emotional/behavioral issues. Forty schools were funded to demonstrate different approaches for integrating mental health supports and school programs. Projects are tracking data to demonstrate changes affecting students and families and the schools as a result of this initiative.

• VESID’s five parent centers (See information above: Information Dissemination) also provide training and information dissemination to teachers, school administrators, and staff members from a broad spectrum of agencies and community-based organizations (CBOs). By providing information and access through CBOs, capacity is built, and knowledge about special education is greatly increased in the wider community. This brings information to parents in community settings, and increases outreach to families who are homeless, foster parents, teen parents, and others who cannot be assisted through traditional “in-school” events and services.

4. Projected Targets
   (for next reporting period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004):

• Maintain parent involvement on VESID advisory groups.
• Maintain capacity to provide parent training in the SETRC network.
• Continue to involve parents in review of appropriate policy documents and publications.
• Involve parents in appropriate Department initiatives to effect systems change.
• Implement home-family involvement programs in local school districts.
• Enhance Department personnel's knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding effectively involving parents in all appropriate initiatives.
• Provide recommendations to the Board of Regents regarding enhancements to certification requirements for school personnel to include parent outreach activities.

5. Future Activities
6. Projected Timelines and Resources
   (for next reporting period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004 and on going):

• VESID will ensure that parents are engaged in VESID advisory groups, work groups and committees and other advisory groups who provide feedback to the Department on issues relative to students with disabilities.

• VESID will work to infuse partnerships with parents within SED to assure that leadership and key personnel have the knowledge, skills and attitude necessary to effectively involve parents.

• VESID will recommend that colleges and universities include training on parent outreach and parent involvement in their training programs in special education. The Commissioner’s Advisory Panel on Special Education, 50 percent of who are parents of students with disabilities, will review certification requirements for administrators, psychologists and social workers, assess the adequacy of professional development regarding parent outreach, and make specific recommendations to the Commissioner.

• VESID has developed a comprehensive set of principles (See Cluster III, Parent Involvement, Executive Summary, VESID’s Family Principles) to engage parents of students with disabilities in a meaningful way in policy development, implementation and evaluation. These family principles will be integrated into all publications, IDEA discretionary funded activities, technical assistance, training and correspondence.

• The Department has funded, in collaboration with the Office of Mental Health, Department of Health and Families Together of New York, Inc., the Mental Health School Support Projects to provide services in approximately 40 targeted schools to address the needs of children with significant behavioral issues. The three components of the project are: integration of mental health services, development or enhancement of family support, and training for families and education personnel. Evaluation of the first two phases of the school support projects will be completed in 2004. Results and lessons learned will be shared with the public, state agency partners and the schools involved in the projects. An essential element in the evaluation protocol is family satisfaction with services. The results of family surveys completed in 2003 are being analyzed with results to be shared in 2004. In addition, two additional projects that combine the integrated mental health components, family supports, and positive behavioral interventions and supports will be funded.

• Funding/supports for formal parent support structures that enhance parent involvement are being established. SED and the Office of Mental Health are collaborating on establishing parent support structures and a technical assistance structure for implementing a “system of care” approach that will enhance the level and effectiveness of parental involvement. Families Together in New York State is an active and equal partner in both the School Support Project and the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports projects. Families Together participates in both the statewide project leadership team and in regional and local teams, providing technical assistance to assure parental involvement in service delivery.

• Parent involvement/home-school collaboration is a key component of the State Improvement Grant. The plan is designed to stimulate systems change in the Big Five City School Districts and selected districts in need of improvement based on key performance measures and disproportionality data. In addition to the requirement that each targeted Local Education Agency (LEA) allocate at least 5 percent of the award ($2,500) to support “Family Engagement” activities, additional SIG funds (up to $15,000) are available to school districts seeking more in-depth systemic reform.

• As part of a collaborative effort with OSEP, The National Center on Dispute Resolution (CADRE), a federal technical assistance provider, worked with VESID, parent representatives, and other stakeholders to develop a written document and training materials designed to assist districts and parents in improving school/family relationships and building effective school-family-community involvement. The document, Educating Our Children Together: A Sourcebook for Effective Family-School-Community Partnerships is now available on the VESID web site on the following “Additional Resources” page: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/resources.htm

• The technical assistance networks administered by VESID - 15 Early Childhood Direction Centers (ECDC), 5 Parent Centers, and 42 Special Education Training and Resource Centers – are funded for 2004-2005 and will continue to build capacity through training and professional development activities.

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