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Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)
Special Education and Vocational Rehabilitation Services

March 2006

Available in PDF Format for printing

 

To: District Superintendents
  Superintendents of Schools
  CSE Chairpersons
  Directors of Special Education
  Special Act School District Superintendents
  State-Operated School Superintendents
 

Superintendents  of Residential State-Supported Schools         

  Approved Residential Private School Executive Directors
From: Edward Placke, Ed.D.       
   
Subject:

Modifications of the New York State Education Department’s (SED) Approved Schools for Students with Disabilities’ Website Regarding Addition of Data to Display In-State Residential Bed Vacancies

        This memorandum is to notify school district and in-state residential school (this term is used generically to refer to the residential programs affiliated with the provider organizations listed on the next page) officials involved in serving students with disabilities that the Department has developed an additional tool to assist in the placement process.  Over the past several years, the Governor, Legislature and State agencies have studied trends in the placement of students with disabilities in residential settings.  It has become evident that New York State needs to expand capacity to meet the more intensive needs of these students, while at the same time ensuring that students are not placed residentially when less restrictive options are appropriate and available.  It has become apparent that New York needs to do more to inform districts of such availability and to assist them in placing students within the State and as close to their homes as possible.

        During a series of meetings with individuals from in-state residential schools and the organizations representing them, all groups consistently recommended that the Department develop a mechanism to assist districts in having timely data on placement openings in these residential schools available to them.

        The initial step for reducing out-of-state placements is to have in-state residential school providers transmit current information on placement openings to the Department.  I am requesting that each in-state residential school report weekly the number of available residential openings based on sex, age and disability to the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID).  The website for VESID’s private school listings is: www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/privateschools/home.html. This information will be updated weekly to provide Committees on Special Education (CSE) with the number and location of available residential openings across in-state residential schools.  Specific instructions for entering the information are provided on the attached form, including the starting date for this initiative.  It is expected that school district CSEs will access the website whenever they are in need of a residential placement and will call the Intake Officer at those schools that appear to have an appropriate opening.  Therefore, providers are asked to also include the Intake Officer’s name and contact information.

        Ongoing communications among CSEs, parents and in-state residential school providers will be a critical factor in achieving this goal.  The Department anticipates that this procedure will result in appropriate and more expedient placements of students with disabilities into in-state programs by improving the availability of information on program vacancies to school districts.  Your continued cooperation in implementing this process is crucial to its effectiveness.

        The following organizations have discussed this initiative with the Department, have indicated their support and have agreed to assist the Department in evaluating its effectiveness:

        Cerebral Palsy Association of NYS

        Coalition of Special Act Public School Districts of NYS

        Council of New York Special Education Administrators

        4201 Association

        Interagency Council of Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc.

        NYS Coalition of 853 Schools / Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies

        NYS Council of School Superintendents

        NYS School Boards Association

 

    All Districts Superintendents are asked to share this memorandum with each of their School Superintendents and ask them to ensure that their Directors of Special Education/CSE Chairpersons receive a copy.  We appreciate your support of our efforts to serve New York State students with disabilities within the State to the extent possible and appropriate.  Please e-mail any questions on this vacancy posting process to VESIDSPE@mail.nysed.gov.

Attachment

 cc:  Rebecca Cort
        James DeLorenzo
        Daniel Johnson
        Thomas Hamel

Available in Word Format

Vacancy Specifics for Each Approved In-State Residential Program

In an effort to provide the most up-to-date information to school districts related to vacancies at in-state residential schools, please complete the following with your program specific information.  This form will be sent electronically to all in-state residential schools each Wednesday, beginning on March 29, 2006, and information should be completed in the boxes below and submitted each Friday, beginning March 31, 2006.  Please complete the Intake Officer contact information the first time you submit this form by  including the name, title and phone number of the person to be contacted regarding any further information needed related to the vacancies.  This form should be submitted to VESIDSPE@mail.nysed.gov each Friday, even if you are reporting “0” vacancies (in which case, you would simply enter “0” under “Gender Male” and “0” under “Gender Female”).  The participating organizations have agreed to help NYSED evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of this system, and future helpful modifications can be expected.

School Name – Common or popular name of school

Intake Officer - Name, title and telephone number

Gender – Indicate how many vacancies are male or female

Age Range – The age range associated with the vacancy

Disability – Type of disability to be served

Date Available – This would reflect what you have for current vacancies (as of date of submission of form) and projected vacancies (upcoming numbers and dates of availability within the next month)

Additional Information – Indicate number of vacancies that are for ambulatory students vs. nonambulatory students.  You may also include in the appropriate box any additional information you think school districts would find helpful.

Popular Name

VACANCIES
Gender. Age Range Disability.

Number and

Date Available

 Additional Information
Current

Projected

 Amb. Nonamb.
School Name:

 

Intake Officer:

 

 

 Male            
Female