PART V
Services to Schools/Students, Evaluation of Program/Services, Accreditation, Unit Improvement
I. Services to Schools/Students
A. Process by which the ESU Provides Services and Calculates the Cost
It shall be the policy of ESU #13 to provide educational services as identified and requested by member school districts through the Advisory Council and approved by the ESU Board, and to calculate the cost for such services on the basis of reasonable standards of accountancy for political subdivisions of the State of Nebraska.
ESU #13 may contract to provide services to: (1) non-member public school districts, (2) nonpublic school systems, (3) other Educational Service Units, and (4) other political subdivisions or agencies under the Interlocal Cooperation Act and the Joint Public Agency Act.
B. Process by which Member and Non-member Schools Request and Pay for Services
For any service requested which is not offered at the time of such request, the process for providing such services should occur as follows:
1. A request for services by a member or non-member school district should be set forth in writing with such requested services to be identified and accompanied with a probable fiscal impact statement.
2. Such request shall be reviewed by the ESU #13 Administrator who shall confer with the requesting member or non-member school district and who shall seek to clarify, if necessary, and supply additional specific information concerning the request so that the nature of the services might be reasonably specifically identified and the fiscal impact might be reasonably projected.
3. Thereafter the Administrator shall submit the request to the Advisory Council as identified in ESU #13 policy, and the Advisory Council shall either accept or reject the request by a vote of a majority of those present and voting at any duly constituted meeting of the Advisory Council.
4. If such request for services is approved by the Advisory Council, it shall be forwarded to the Administrator who will submit the request to the ESU #13 Board for approval/disapproval.
5. If the request for services is approved by the ESU #13 Board, a cost for said services will be determined by the Administrator and charged to the member or non-member school district as defined in the Member or Non-member School District Service Contract.
II. Services to Individuals with Disabilities
1. Free Appropriate Public Education. The Board of ESU #13 hereby affirms its position that all individuals with disabilities are entitled to a free appropriate public education and an equal opportunity for an education according to their individual needs.
2. Student Records – Rights and Privacy. The Board of ESU #13 affirms that the requirements of The Family Rights and Privacy Act will be strictly enforced along with Nebraska Department of Education rules and regulations. Procedures will be established to limit accessibility and assure the confidentiality of personally identifiable student data items maintained by ESU #13 for schools served.
3. Procedural Safeguards. The Board of ESU #13 affirms that special education programs and services owned by ESU #13 or provided to schools by contract shall comply with the procedural safeguards specified in 92 NAC 51. These guidelines may be accessed on the Nebraska Department of Education website at www.education.ne.gov
4. Plans and Budgets. The Board of ESU #13 affirms that special education plans and budgets for schools served will be available for public viewing. (Plans and budgets for ESU #13 schools are filed at the respective school district.)
III. Recording, Reporting and Referrals
A. Records and Reports:
ESU #13 is required by state and federal law to submit forms/reports at various times throughout the year. To make this process easier, it is important that all staff members keep accurate and up- to-date records. You must adhere to due dates so that state reporting can be done on time. The Director of Special Education or the Special Education Secretary will provide forms for reporting the required information.
B. End of the Year Reporting:
At the end of each school year, you will meet with your Program Director to discuss professional goals, professional growth activities, advancement on the salary schedule (if applicable), requisitions, closure on employment (if applicable), and other necessary paperwork.
C. Incident Report:
Incidents out of the ordinary such as accidents, confrontations, fights, complaints, etc., are to be reported on an incident report form. Information to be included is a list of persons involved, witnesses, time, date, and place. A brief description of the incident should be in factual terms, not opinions. The report should be signed by the person submitting the report.
D. Referrals:
Referrals for student services must go through the resident school districts in Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux Counties.
IV. Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a very important aspect of special education. Employees have access to a wealth of sensitive information pertaining to individual students. All information is confidential and must be treated as such. Specific areas of confidentiality are as follows: All information reported on an IEP is confidential. All Information shared during an IEP meeting is confidential. All comments and conversations among special education departments (i.e., administrators, psychologists, school nurses, and outside consultants) are confidential and should not be discussed with others. All conversations regarding specific students must be confined to the school setting and occur only with adults directly involved with the students.
V. Individual Education Plan
The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written statement for a child with a verified disability, which specifies the special education and related services necessary to assure that child a free, appropriate public education.
An IEP meeting must be held within thirty (30) calendar days of the initial verification of the child’s disability.
After the initial IEP meeting, IEPs must be in effect at the beginning of each school year. The IEP team shall review the child’s IEP periodically, but not less than annually, to determine whether or not the annual goals for the child are being achieved. Documentation of progress must be reported as often as parents are informed of their nondisabled children’s progress.
VI. Individual Family Service Plan
If a determination is made that an infant or toddler needs services, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) must be developed which specifies the special education and related services necessary to assure that child a free, appropriate public education.
The IFSP shall be developed and implemented for each infant and toddler who is determined to be eligible for early intervention services in accordance with Rule 51 and shall be based on the multidisciplinary evaluation and other relevant information. The Services Coordinator, with the family, is responsible for arranging the team meeting, developing the IFSP team and facilitating the development of the IFSP consistent with Health and Human Services’ Early Intervention regulations.
For an infant or toddler who has been evaluated for the first time and determined to be eligible, a meeting to develop the initial IFSP must be conducted within forty-five (45) calendar days of the referral.
A meeting must be conducted on at least an annual basis to evaluate the IFSP for a child and the child’s family. Parents shall receive a copy of the IFSP within seven (7) calendar days of the IFSP meeting.
A review of the IFSP for a child and the child’s family must be conducted every six (6) months, or more frequently if conditions warrant, or if the family requests such a review.
VII. Termination of Services
Careful consideration should be given to the termination of a student from any services noted on the IEP. If a student has not completed the goals and objectives as specified on the IEP and termination has been requested by the parent and/or school personnel, an IEP meeting MUST be called to review pertinent data.
VIII.Student Transportation with Personal Vehicles
It shall be the policy of ESU #13 to strictly prohibit the use of personal vehicles to transport students except for such transportation of students which might be provided by the parent(s) or guardian(s) of such student. Nothing in this policy shall be construed to prohibit the use of personal vehicles to transport students in emergency situations such as but not limited to a sudden onset of illness, minor injuries suffered by a student resulting in the immediate need for medical attention but not sufficiently serious enough to require the calling of an emergency medical vehicle, or the onset of other medical circumstances when it would not be reasonable to summons an emergency medical vehicle.
IX. Public Information
A. News Releases:
You are encouraged to prepare articles describing your activities for general dissemination to the news media. Any of these releases must be sent from the Administrator’s office and carry her/his signature of approval.
B. Student Pictures and Features:
Any feature or news coverage using students or their photographs must have been approved in writing by the parent or parent surrogate each time they are used. Do not attempt to use a permit more than once. C. General Public Relations:
The Educational Service Unit is not very well understood by the general public. In fact, many teachers and school officials do not fully understand its purposes. Be sure that you do! Try to portray it as an indispensable agency for the service of children.
X. Evaluation of ESU Programs/Services
It shall be the policy of ESU #13 to evaluate ESU #13 programs and services as follows:
A. Informal Basis: The Administrator with the assistance from program directors will continually analyze the need for program revision. Such revisions will be reported to the Board periodically.
B. Formal Basis: The ESU #13 Administrator and Board will request reports, advice, and recommendations from the Advisory Council regarding the evaluation of ESU programs and services and will consider proposals regarding the development or expansion of ESU programs and services. The ESU shall give due consideration to all evaluations and make appropriate changes based upon evidence or other information provided by the Advisory Council.
XI. ESU Accreditation
Annually, ESU #13 complies with requirements for classification as an accredited ESU with the Nebraska Department of Education. In addition, ESU #13 conducts a comprehensive evaluation of programs and services at least once every five (5) years to obtain Educational Service Agency (ESA) national accreditation through North Central Association/AdvancED.
XII. Unit Improvement
ESU #13 is committed to continuous improvement through implementation of a Unit Improvement Plan based on seven standards: (1) Vision and Purpose, (2) Governance and Leadership, (3) Teaching and Learning, (4) Documenting and Using Results, (5) Resource and Support Systems, (6) Stakeholder Communications and Relationships, and (7) Commitment to Continuous Improvement. A Quality Assurance Review Team monitors progress.
Unit Improvement Committees:
Following the annual staff survey, internal improvement committees were created as problem-solving teams to address issues raised, to increase the lines of communication, to utilize the strengths and expertise of all staff members, and to share the responsibilities and workload involved with the continuous improvement process. Representatives from all departments serve on the committees. Committee meetings are held in conjunction with the four scheduled inservice days. Agendas and minutes of committee meetings are placed in a public folder on the server for all to read.
Unit Improvement Committee Process:
Open meeting with introductions (at all sites if videoconference meeting) Ask for additions to the agenda. Name a recorder, time-keeper, and norms keeper. Ask for any additions to the norms. Old Business: Review any progress made on issues discussed at earlier meetings. Celebrate progress. List action items. Determine responsibility to accomplish needed action and report. New Business: Discuss new issues. Assign collection of information regarding new issues and determine timeline. Make recommendations. Share summary of meeting and/or recommendations with the Leadership Team. Email action items and minutes to committee members and post on the server for all to read. Unit Improvement Committee Types:
Leadership Team (Program Directors): An advisory/problem-solving group (representing student services, core services, and administrative functions) that focuses on common issues across all departments. Representatives on this committee assist with communication back to their respective departments.
Other Unit Improvement committees were established to align to data collected from the annual internal staff survey. (Exception: The Safety Committee is required by law to hold quarterly meetings and will continue every year.) Each Unit Improvement committee is facilitated by a Program Director who develops the agenda and seeks input from staff members. The ESU Administrator is invited to be an integral part of each committee. The following committees in place include:
Communication Committee: An advisory/problem-solving group that reviews internal and external communication issues.
Transportation Committee: An advisory/problem-solving group that reviews vehicle usage, maintenance, scheduling and planning issues.
Wellness Committee: An advisory/problem-solving group that promotes health and wellness opportunities for all staff members.
Food Service and Celebrations Committee: An advisory/problem-solving group that reviews food service issues including student lunches, catering, quality of food services, and other hospitality issues. This committee also develops a plan to solicit assistance from all staff members for participating in meeting logistics.
Technology Committee: An advisory/problem-solving group that reviews technology-related issues for internal staff including training, support, email, website and other technology issues.
Safety Committee: This committee meets quarterly to review health and safety concerns to ensure that all staff members are aware of safety procedures and that the facilities meet safety compliance regulations.
Data Collection and Staff Training Committee: An advisory/problem-solving group that ensures that current and appropriate data is analyzed and used for decision-making purposes. This committee helps with needs assessment, inservice agendas, and training plans for all staff members based on data collected.
Reference to Board Policy
To ensure that employees have adequate direction to maintain professionalism at all times, Board policy has been added to the ESU #13 website under Administration for easy access by all employees. Because Board policy can become cumbersome, individual policies are not listed in this handbook. However, we recommend that you review official Board policies on an as-needed basis. Policies of interest that may offer guidance in your job performance include: Suspension, Removal, More Restrictive Placement and Other Disciplinary Circumstances for Students Receiving Services from ESU #13 Corporal Punishment Interrogation Request by Non-school Officials Relating to Students in ESU #13 Operated Programs Child Abuse and Neglect Do Not Resuscitate Policy for Programs Owned and/or Operated by ESU #13 Firearm Policy