::  INSOURCE Reports - Spring 2008

Inside This Issue

• From the Desk of the Executive Director
• Challenging Journeys Result in Success
• CEL Reports
• Expressing Gratitude
• ISTART7
• Thank You to INSOURCE Donors to Annual Conference
• A Powerful Way to Share Experiences
• IN-SIG Update
• IDOE - Division of Exceptional Learners Surveying for Parental Involvement
• Our Apologies
• Derrick Speaks Up
• Welcome New Staff
• New Regional Office
• INSOURCE Staff Presents at Conference
• Annual INSOURCE Golf Fundraiser
• Mark Your Calendars

From the desk of the Executive Director

It is likely that in Indiana, we will have a revised and officially promulgated state Rule (Article 7) in effect sometime during this calendar year. Everyone wants the revised Rule in place by the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. The revised Rule will likely include several significant changes. Implementing change can be difficult, and trying to do that while schools are in session will only add to the difficulty. Changing a state law involves a very formal process that includes many required steps. I invite you to visit our website at www.insource.org or our on-line community at www.myinsource.org to see a possible “timeline for promulgation.” If you do go there, you will see for instance, that if the State Board of Education votes at its June 4th meeting to approve the proposed Rule, the next day the Rule will be submitted to the State Attorney General’s office. The AG’s office then has 45 days to review the Rule and sign off. The AG’s office is not required to keep the Rule for 45 days. It could complete its review in say, 10 days. If that were to happen, that would, of course, move up the timeline for implementation. We will just have to wait and see how quickly or slowly the process moves along.

On April 15th in Evansville, the State Board of Education will convene the first in a series of 6 public hearings to offer the public the opportunity to make comment on its proposed rule. I think it is commendable that the State Board is convening 6 hearings at 6 different sites around the state. The promulgation rules only require one public hearing. It does appear that the State Board is making a good faith effort to be accessible to the public. The final hearing will be in Indianapolis on May 7th. I am not sure when this newsletter will reach you. It may be that you receive it after the hearings have concluded, so I am not listing all 6 locations and times here. If, however, you do receive this before May 7th and would like that information, I would again invite you to visit our website or the on-line community. The information is there. If you do not have access to the internet, please give us a call.

Even if the public hearings have concluded, you will still have the opportunity to submit written comments until at least May 23rd. I would recommend that you do submit your comments in writing. That is the best way to assure that they are considered. I would also encourage you to include in your comments both those proposed changes that you support as well as those you oppose. Both are equally important.

Written statements or comments of any length may be mailed to the following address:

Indiana Department of Education
Division of Exceptional Learners
Room 229 State House
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2798

You may fax your comments to (317) 232-0589.

You can find a copy of the proposed Rule and you may submit your comments on-line via the following website:   ideanet.doe.state.in.us/exceptional/article7/welcome.html

Also, if you are interested, we have posted our comments on both our websites. We are glad to share our thoughts with you. Even though it can be tedious, I do encourage you to take a look at the proposed Article 7. Note those changes you support, those you oppose and, briefly, why. And then, invest a few more minutes and submit your comments to the State. It is important.

I also want to welcome our newest staff member, Mary Delaney. Mary is working in the central area of the state and I am very pleased that she has agreed to join our organization and our mission.

A couple of thoughts about our regional staff...several years ago, we decided to employ staff, to the extent resources would allow, who live in different areas of the state to work with families who live in that same general area. We believed that to be a more efficient way to deliver service and support. Regional staff are all part time. All try to cover several counties, unless they are serving an area with a very large population like the Indianapolis area. On any given day, they never know how many parents will contact them requesting assistance. They never know what type or level of assistance will be required. That can be very challenging for all of them. It would be very helpful if parents would give staff as much lead time as they possibly can. If, for instance, a parent calls at 4:00 in the afternoon requesting that the staff person attend a meeting at 8:00 the next morning, that just might not be possible. That can be frustrating for both the staff member who wants to help and the parent caller who needs help. So, as much lead time as possible will help us better serve you.

Our annual golf outing will be on May 21st at a great course in Nappanee, Indiana. Please plan to join us. You will have fun, and we will certainly appreciate your support.

Summer break is close. Have some fun...and hug the kids for me.

Best Wishes!

Challenging Journeys Result in Success

More than twenty years ago, when Joe Spohr was struggling in first grade, his mom, Pam, attended her first IN*SOURCE conference. Joe, now 27, is currently in his last year of nursing school at the University of St. Francis and claims that because his parents learned so much from IN*SOURCE about how to advocate on his behalf, he is now not only able to advocate for himself but is helping fellow students as well.

“I don’t know where we would have been without IN*SOURCE,” claims Pam. After attending her first IN*SOURCE training session in the Fort Wayne area many years ago, she encouraged her husband, Terry, to attend a subsequent session with her so that, together, with the knowledge gained about the special education process, they could support Joe’s challenging journey through school. Joe’s learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder did not prevent his parents from maintaining high expectations for him, nor did it keep him from setting goals for himself and meeting his challenges with determination. He states that he would now like to be of help and support to others in their struggles in order to “give back” what he feels he has gained from what his parents learned. Joe looks forward to receiving his B.S. in Nursing and hopes to become a nurse anesthetist.

When Pam’s friend, Sue Reichert, was experiencing a good deal of frustration because her son, Chris, was having so many problems during his middle-school years, Pam convinced her to attend one of IN*SOURCE’s workshops so that she could learn about the special education process and how to support her son through his struggles. Chris had been identified as a student with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder, and there were days that it was difficult to even get him to go to school. Sue wasn’t even sure that he would finish high school. She claims that what she learned from IN*SOURCE “helped us find our way,” and she continues to be grateful for the support she received along what could easily be described as a very bumpy road.

The good news is that thanks, in part, to a very supportive teacher who took Chris under her wing, Chris made a conscious decision to complete high school and graduated in 2001. He is now 25 and, as an apprentice in sheet metal work, is doing an internship with a trade union and doing quite well in the classes he is taking at IVY Tech.

Successes such as Joe’s and Chris’ continue to reinforce for us the value of our mission to “provide parents, families and service providers in Indiana the information and training necessary to assure effective educational programs and appropriate services for children and young adults with disabilities.” We are, indeed, gratified by stories like the Spohrs’ and the Reicherts’ and very much appreciate their willingness to share them. We wish them continued success.

(NOTE: We are so pleased that both Pam and Sue continue to provide support to others in their areas as Regional Parent Resources (RPRs) – Pam in Noble County and Sue in Allen County.)

CEL Reports...

by Paul Ash, Assistant Director
Center for Exceptional Learners, Indiana Department of Education

I especially enjoy the Spring edition of the IN*SOURCE Newsletter because preparing an article for submission is a matter of deciding what to leave out rather than what to include. This spring is no exception, there is so much to report…and so little time and space for reporting.

By the time you receive this edition of the newsletter, it is likely that the Article 7 public hearings will have taken place. Though the future is impossible to accurately predict, the time, effort, discussions, input, consideration, and research that went into the Article 7 revision process should soon result in a new and improved Rule to serve students with disabilities and guide parents and educators.

The longer days, warmer weather and approaching end of the school year leads to thoughts of Summer Camp! Each year our office, with the help of the good folks at the Indiana Education Resource Center (they actually do the heavy lifting on this), develops and distributes Indiana’s Special Summer Camp List. The Summer 2008 edition is now available and can be accessed on the Division website:
http://doe.state.in.us/exceptional/speced/whatsnew.htm under the What’s New button. The range of special summer camps in Indiana is amazing and includes camps for children with hearing impairments, camps for children with cranio-facial deformities, camps for children who are cancer survivors, even family camps!

Students who are exiting school this spring may be thinking of college or postsecondary training. This is a very realistic goal for many students with disabilities. The 2008 edition of College and Postsecondary Training for Students with Disabilities in Indiana (the good folks at IN*SOURCE do the heavy lifting in updating this one) is recognized as one of the most useful and complete directories of its kind. Over 60 colleges and postsecondary training institutions in Indiana are listed. In addition, the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities at each institution is listed as well as contact information and an institution-specific description of resources and accommodations for students with disabilities. This, too, is available on our website under the What’s New button. Remember, “special education” does not exist in colleges and postsecondary institutions as it does in preK-12 public school. Students at the college and postsecondary level must self-identify and document eligibility for any accommodations under Section 504 or the ADA.

Students exiting high school this spring will likely earn a high school diploma or a Certificate of Completion. A Certificate of Completion is not an academic credential, but it does provide a degree of dignity to the exiting student and allows the student to participate in graduation ceremonies. A high school diploma is an academic credential and does signify that the student has mastered a level of proficiency in specific courses. A student who has met all requirements for graduation except for passing the Graduation Qualifying Examination (GQE) can still meet the graduation qualifying examination requirement through one of the “waiver” provisions available. The “evidence-based waiver” is the process most frequently used by students with disabilities who meet all graduation requirements except for passing the GQE. The “evidence-based waiver” for students with disabilities requires (among other things) an attendance rate of 95% (with excused absences not counting against the student), a “C” average in those courses required by the State Board (a “C-“ can count as a “C” if the school wishes), and teacher, principal, and case conference certifying the student has mastered required material. See “What if I Don’t Pass the Graduation Qualifying Examination?” on…you guessed it…our website under the What’s New button. Note that there are actually two (2) “evidence-based waivers” available, one for students with disabilities and one for students without disabilities. They are similar but not identical.

There is more to tell, but time and space are limited.

ISTART 7

by:  Dawn McGrath, ICAN Project Director

The document that regulates special education procedures in Indiana, Article 7, is under revision and is on course for promulgation this summer. The proposed rules contain a number of important clarifications and changes in specifics, such as how evaluations are conducted, who must be at the case conference committee meetings, and the manner in which IEPs can be revised.

As a parent of a student with a disability, I believe that these changes will support the opportunity for schools to do the right things for our kids. One of the best advances is the emphasis on using data to support decision making. I also appreciate the prospect that parents will be more involved in understanding the rationale for what the school is proposing to provide. Adjustments to IEPs will not only be less restricted but will come to be expected in the cases where students are not making projected progress.

One thing that never changes is that knowledgeable parents are in a better position to work intelligently and effectively with school personnel. For this reason, it is very advisable that parents become familiar with the new changes in Article 7. In addition, parents should be aware of the possibility that they may see a new piece of technology being used during the case conference committee meeting for their child.

The State of Indiana, in collaboration with the ICAN Project, provides an electronic IEP for free to school districts that apply to become partners. In preparation for the new Article 7, the staff at the Indiana Department of Education, Division of Exceptional Learners has dedicated much time to verifying that this technology promotes compliance to the impending regulation. It will be rolled out simultaneously with the new regulations.

The new electronic IEP will be called ISTART7, an acronym for Indiana’s Standards Tool for Article 7 compliance. It is much improved from the predecessor piece, often referred to as the ICAN IEP or the case conference tool in ISTAR. By the time next fall rolls around, at least 200 school districts will be using this system in the state of Indiana.

Besides being very cost effective for districts, the biggest benefit is that the compliance features are built into the software. All of the data and decision processes that are expected through Article 7 are prompted and required in order for the file to be finalized. Links to Article 7 are embedded throughout the screens so that the user can go directly to the reference that explains the impetus for the requirement.

Another benefit is that some schools will project the IEP for all to see as it is being created. The resulting document, once finalized at the conclusion of the case conference committee process, is accessible only to those who have been given access due to a legitimate educational purpose, and this access is logged for future reference. Educational practices may become more efficient and effective for the students as teachers are freed from some of the typical clerical burdens that can be handled through the use of technology.

The ICAN Project welcomes invitations from organizations who are interested in setting up parent workshops to learn more about Article 7 through the use of ISTART7. Please contact me at dmcgrath@icantech.com for more information. To view screen shots of the software, please visit: https://ican.doe.state.in.us/istar/istar7preview/preview.htm.

Agness Family ARC Opportunities JoAnn Barrett Bethesda Lutheran Homes & Services Big O Tires, Muncie Mary Ann Bogucki Barb Campbell Jane Carroll Peggy Cooper Mary Douglas Roberta Gajewski Sally Hamburg Carla Hanson Sundaye Hook

Horizon Convention Center Patricia Howey Imagine Nation Books Indiana Fever- Women’s Basketball IRCIL Mary Beth Jamerson Nancy Karch Ruth Kimberly Sharon Kroll Patti Kem Mary Lovett Peggy McClellan Kiersten Neal Theda Nixon

Patricia Ann Florists, South Bend Purdue University-Men’s Basketball Rest Assured Ribbon: The Gift of Choice Derrick Roberts Donna Roberts Nancy Sacha Students in Young Adult Program-Mishawaka-Penn-Harris-Madison Joint Services Kathy Vermeulen Erin Wall Gloria Wall Barb Wilson

A Powerful Way to Share Experiences

Good friends, Kelly Fischer and Nancy Muncey have much in common.  They are both parents of six-year old sons with disabilities who have provided a good deal of support to one another and have been trying to reach out to other moms in the Muncie, Indiana area who have sons and daughters with special needs.    Not having found support groups to meet their specific needs, Kelly and Nancy launched an effort of their own, based on their experience attending a writing group in Indianapolis. 

The Indianapolis area group was begun by Lyn Jones, of Fishers, Indiana, a part-time children’s literature teacher and educational consultant.  Lyn’s son, Will, has Cerebral Palsy and she was looking for a support group that offered the personal touch and some comraderie.  She also wanted to write her story . . . the story of the challenges and the wonder of having a child with special needs, and the story of how, when she and her husband were warned not to name their son because he wasn’t expected to live, they named him “Will” for “will to live.” 

Both groups meet once every two weeks for a two hour period in the evenings and follow a similar format.  The meetings start with a time to socialize and share information and resources with one another.  The second hour is devoted to writing and sharing their work with the group in what the groups consider a safe environment where they can speak openly with others who share a common bond.

“Your experiences shape you as a writer,” says Lyn.  “And no one experiences all the joys and devastations life has to offer like a special needs mom.  This writing group is simply an opportunity to put our thoughts on paper. . . If you write for yourself, it is therapy.  If you write for others it has meaning for them, which is also therapy for you.”

Being  moms of  children with special needs is the glue that holds these women together . . . regardless of education, socioeconomic status or writing ability.   Each group shares a unique bond and many friendships have developed as a result.  The women support one another as they share their stories . . . some funny, some sad, some touching.  The success of these groups is a good indication of the notion that writing is a way to have fun, especially if it can be shared with others with whom you can relate because of similar experiences.

For more information about these groups, contact Nancy Muncey at (765) 273-0079, e-mail nsmuncey@hotmail.com; Kelly Fischer at (765) 741-9081, e-mail kfischer@bsu.edu; or Lyn Jones at (317) 773-9449, e-mail jlwjones@insightbb.com

IN-SIG Update

by:  Julie Havill-Weems, Family Coordinator, IN-SIG

In September of 2005, IN-SIG and the Indiana Partnerships Center formed the Indiana Task Force on Increasing Student Achievement through Family, School, and Community Partnerships.  To work toward the vision set forth by the Task Force, five work groups have been active over the past two years.  Work Group 4 has been developing standards for family, school, and community partnerships and a toolkit to support schools in meeting these standards.  The standards address a focus on student learning, a partnership framework, school climate and culture, engaging and valuing all families, communication, training for school personnel, family support, community connections, and family and community involvement in school decision-making, governance, and improvement.  The toolkit will include an assessment tool schools, parents, and community members can use to assess how their schools foster family, school, and community partnerships.  Also, the toolkit will include information and resources to assist in planning for strengthening partnerships.  We are currently looking for examples of schools who have strong partnerships in place.  If you are aware of a school with great partnerships with its families and community, please let us know.  Contact me at jhavill@indiana.edu or 1-800-437-7924. 

JOIN OUR ON-LINE COMMUNITY AT www.myinsource.org

Division of Exceptional Learners Surveying for Parental Involvement

In 2004, the United States Congress passed a significant piece of legislation, the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004).  One component of IDEA 2004 is a requirement that each state monitor the performance of all its schools on the delivery of special education services to students with disabilities.  The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and publicly reporting data that demonstrates each school’s performance in a number of different areas, such as student participation in assessment, graduation and discipline rates, and parental involvement. 

Required by IDEA 2004, and out of recognition of the crucial importance of parental involvement of the education of students with disabilities, the Division of Exceptional Learners (within the IDOE) surveys parents throughout the state from a sampling of school corporations.  The distribution of the survey is determined through a sampling process; with returned responses compiled in a manner to maintain anonymity and reflect the status of parent involvement in Indiana. 

Beginning in March 2008, a sample of families from 84 school corporations will be surveyed each year for the next four years to ensure that families from all school corporations in the state have been surveyed by the year 2011.  Surveys will be sent from the Division of Exceptional Learners to randomly selected families on an annual basis.  (If randomly selected, parents will only receive the survey one time.)  Surveys are then returned by the family to the Division of Exceptional Learners for data analysis and monitoring purposes.  The data will be compiled and reported on an annual basis through Indiana’s annual performance report.

The Division of Exceptional Learners appreciates the participation of those families who are selected at random in the surveying process and is committed to supporting the involvement of parents in the education of all students with disabilities.  Questions about this process should be directed to Kylee Bassett or Tara Rinehart at the Division of Exceptional Learners at 1-877-851-4106 (toll free). 

Should you be one of those selected at random to respond to the survey, we strongly encourage your participation.  Your responses will assist in guiding the efforts to improve services and outcomes for students and families.

Our Apologies!

In the last issue of our newsletter, we incorrectly identified the women standing with IN*SOURCE Regional Program Specialist, Kathy Vermeulen, at the IN*SOURCE annual conference in Muncie, Indiana.  Our apologies to Janet Messer and Terri Starkey.

Derrick Speaks Up

Derrick Roberts of Oxford, Indiana, was selected as one of the 50 young people with epilepsy to participate in “Kids Speak Up” in Washington, D.C. in early April.  Derrick, the son of IN*SOURCE Regional Program Specialist, Donna Roberts, represented the approximately 350,000 children under the age of 17 who are effected by epilepsy.   According to Eric R. Hargis, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation, Derrick “is an ideal candidate because of his desire to achieve his goals despite his challenges.  Derrick’s courage is an inspiration to us all.”

“Kids Speak Up” is a national program coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation through which young persons with epilepsy between the ages of 7 and 16 advocate for the more than 3 million Americans living with the condition. 

Congratulations, Derrick.  Those of us at IN*SOURCE share your parents’ pride in your achievements!

Welcome New Staff

Mary Delaney
Indianapolis
(317) 569-9171
mdelaney@insource.org

Mary lives in Carmel, Indiana, in Hamilton County.  She and her husband, Jim, have 3 daughters, Molly, who is 16, Meghan who is 12, and Mackenzie, who is 9.  Meghan was born with Down syndrome.  Mary serves on the Board of both the Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation and Best Buddies Indiana.  Best Buddies is an organization that provides one-on-one peer friendship to middle school, high school and college age individuals with intellectual disabilities.   Mary has also served on Hamilton County’s First Step Council.  She is very excited about becoming a part of IN*SOURCE and looks forward to becoming a better advocate for not only other families but her daughter, Meghan, as well.

(Mary is assisting families in Hancock, Hamilton and Tipton counties and is working with other Regional Program Specialists, Lesa Paddack and Jill Summerlot to assist families in Northern Marion County, specifically MSD of Lawrence Township and MSD of Washington Township.)

New Regional Office

Long time IN*SOURCE Program Specialist, JoAnn Barrett, has agreed to set up an office in Kosciusko County so that IN*SOURCE will be better able to serve the needs of families in that part of Indiana.  This new office will serve Kosciusko, Wabash, Miami, Fulton and Howard counties.  JoAnn will devote three days each week to working in this new office as a Regional Program Specialist in Region 16.  On the remaining two days per week, she will work in the South Bend office and will continue to provide program support to statewide activities.  JoAnn may be reached at her regional office at (574) 529-2039 or at the South Bend office at (574) 234-7101 or (800) 332-4433.  JoAnn’s e-mail address remains jbarrett@insource.org.

INSOURCE Staff Presents at Conference

In late February, Lesa Paddack, IN*SOURCE Regional Program Specialist serving Central Indiana, was a co-presenter at West Virginia’s Early Childhood Conference, Celebrating Connections.  She presented with Dr. Angela Tomlin of Riley Children’s Hospital.  Their presentation was “Diagnosis, Intervention and Future Planning in Autism:  Parent-Provider Partnerships.”  What a well deserved tribute to Lesa to have been invited to present at this conference!  She most certainly has expertise to share on the topic of working collaboratively with educators and other service providers.

Mark You Calendars Now!
Annual INSOURCE Golf Fundraiser

	At McCormick Creek Golf Course May 21, 2008 11:00 a.m. Registration 1:00 p.m. Tee Time Cost:  $100 per Player $100 per Hole Sponsor
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A GREAT DAY OF GOLF! For more information call INSOURCE at: (574) 234-7101 or (800) 332-4433 or log onto our website at www.insource.org.

Mark Your Calendars

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Children with Disabilities is the theme of the Sixth Annual Conference on Disability, Health and the Law.  The conference will be on Friday, June 20th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis.  The conference is being sponsored by the Hall Center for Law and Health with the IU School of Law in Indianapolis; the Riley Child Development Center at the IU School of Medicine; the Indiana Department of Education, Office of Student Services; the American Academy of Pediatrics; ASK (About Special Kids); and IN*SOURCE.   For more information about the conference, watch the law school’s web site at www.indylaw.indiana.edu.

On August 6th and 7th , those attending  Indiana’s Statewide Transition Conference, Paddle Your Own Canoe, will have the opportunity to hear nationally recognized speakers and learn about successful strategies in implementing effective transition plans for students who will be leaving high school and pursuing postsecondary options.  The conference will offer options for networking with and learning from others about enhancing transition outcomes and lives of young adults with disabilities.  It will be held at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites.  For more information, go to http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/cclc. 

If you would like to receive an electronic version of INSOURCE REPORTS rather than a hard copy, please email us at insource@insource.org, and we will be happy to add you to that list.