TUESDAY MAY 28, 2009 BOARD DIGEST BUCKS COUTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT

Special Education There are many causes of hearing loss and listening difficulties. Auditory Neuropathy/Auditory Dys-Synchrony “Understanding and is among them. There are problems with the definition and diagnosis of the disorder as well as the proper Planning for the Needs treatment approach. Following the 4th Annual Cochlear Implant Symposia on Auditory Neuropathy/Auditory of the Young Child with Dys-Synchrony at Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware on April 28-29, 2008, the Auditory idea for a Focus Group began to take shape. First, the specific competencies were outlined for the AN/AD Neuropathy/Auditory Focus Group participants: Define AN/AD, its diagnosis and characteristics, Describe the impact of AN/AD on Dys-Synchrony the development of listening and spoken language, Discuss the management of AN/AD and the collaborative {AN/AD}” process necessary to ensure optimal intervention. The next step was to contact 2 of the researchers at the forefront of the study of this condition. Dr. Linda J. Hood formerly with the Kresge Institute in New Orleans was very helpful and forwarded a lengthy bibliography. The bibliography was reviewed and selected readings were chosen that included journal articles as well as parent-friendly pages. More than a dozen professionals interested in this topic attended the first meeting March 26th, 2009, at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. This gathering was made up of teachers of the deaf, audiologists and an administrator. We reviewed the audiological testing used in diagnosis, listened to a simulation of what AN/AD “sounds” like and worked together to better understand the nature of this condition as well as to identify specific intervention strategies that are beneficial for these children and their families. The group subsequently generated the following questions: If the auditory nerve is not functioning properly, how is a cochlear implant helpful? Does listening develop following the same hierarchy of auditory skills? Is there a severity rating? If so, how is that determined? How are amplification accommodations made? Do you have suggestions for educational activities/modifications that are beneficial for preschoolers diagnosed with AN/AD? What are your recommendations for school-age children? Research indicates that the incidence of AN/AD could be as high as 10% of the students currently being served by the Hearing Support Program. It is the goal of this group to identify students within the population that we serve who possibly have AN/AD and to develop a team protocol specific to the management of AN/AD in young children. Right now, we know of 2 possibly 3 children within our program who have been definitively diagnosed. Future plans include a forum for parents in Bucks and Montgomery Counties to meet, relate common experiences and, hopefully, have some of their questions answered. In addition, the Suggested Readings will be placed in the Professional Library and a link for information about Auditory Neuropathy/Auditory Dys- synchrony will be added to the BCIU Hearing Support Program page of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit website. Programs & Services In the year 2000 the Bucks County Intermediate Unit Instructional Materials and Research Services department “THE BCIU’S ROLE submitted a successful proposal to manage IDS, the Interlibrary Delivery Service of Pennsylvania. IDS is a AS MANAGER OF nonprofit membership cooperative whose purpose is to provide a cost effective, efficient delivery service linking THE all types of libraries to support timely resource sharing throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. IDS’s INTERLIBRARY membership now consists of 220 public, academic, school, and special libraries and their 814 affiliates. As the DELIVERY SERVICE statewide library delivery service, IDS moves library materials that are housed at one library location and needed OF PENNSYLVANIA by a patron in another library location. IDS provides the foundation for ACCESS PENNSYLVANIA resource (IDS)” sharing in the state by providing 24-48 hour deliveries to 1,034 library sites across the Commonwealth and eight (8) PALCI libraries in New Jersey and West Virginia. To carry out its mission, IDS is governed by a Board of Directors elected from member libraries. It is also managed by an administrative agency, currently the Bucks County Schools, Intermediate Unit #22. Since fiscal year 2000, the BCIU IMRS department has managed all aspects of IDS from initiating new full and affiliate members, recordkeeping, designing and hosting an online website, updating the electronic searchable IDS member directory, being a liaison to the PDE Office of Commonwealth Libraries and to United Parcel Service, troubleshooting problems, and performing the accounting functions with the help of the IU Business Office. During fiscal year 2008, United Parcel Service, IDS's public carrier, delivered 486,183 packages of library materials between members at a shipping cost of $1,812,031 or approximately $3.73 per package. This lower per package charge allows member libraries to easily share print and non-print library resources to meet the information needs of Pennsylvania library users. For this year 2009, IDS membership fees range from $662 per year for the smallest shippers to $54,331 per year for the largest. IDS income projections from member fees total $1,444,100. Anticipated 2009 income also includes $630,000 from the state appropriation Library Access line and $35,000 in interest to make up a total budget of $2,109,100. IDS does that for them for their once-a-year membership fee. BOARD ACTION ITEMS:  Approved the minutes of the Intermediate Unit Board meeting held on April 21, 2009.

 Approved the Treasurer’s Report, for the period of July 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009 subject to audit.

 Approved the bills for payment for April 2009, subject to audit.

 Approved the General Fund and Special Revenue Fund Transfers for the period of April 2009 in the amount of $10,600.00.

 Approved the revision to the Federal Special Education Budget – IDEA Section 611 (Part B) for the period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 in the amount of $17,841,317.00.

 Approved the Level I Capacity Building Budget for the period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 in the amount of $37,014.00.

 Approved the April 2009 Private Providers’ Additional Services for the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 in the amount of $55,000.00.

 Approved May 2009 Contracts and Purchases in the amount of $17,375.00.

 Approved the Special Education Service Contract with a Bucks County School District for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 in the amount of $7,241,368.00.

 Approved the Lease agreement with the Neshaminy School District for the Tawanka Learning Center for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2014.

 Approved the Contract for Title I Nonpublic – Pennridge and Amendment to Contract for Title I Nonpublic – Centennial for the period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 in the amount of $42,325.16.

 Approved the revised report on the election of Intermediate Unit Board Members for a period of three-years beginning July 1, 2009.

 Awarded the Cooperative Purchasing Group’s Bid #09-905 for Audio-Visual and IMS Supplies to the recommended vendors.

 Awarded the Cooperative Purchasing Group’s Bid #09-907 for Cafeteria and Small Equipment to the recommended vendors.

 Approved the Life Skills and Autistic Workshop Activity Accounts for the period of January 1, 2009 through March 31, 2009 in the amount of $9,148.66.

 Approved the second reading of revisions to two (2) Board policies: 2139 Cellular Phone Policy and 3205 Activities – Professional Educational Consulting or Teaching Related Services Policy.

 Approved the various personnel items (Items a through d). SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS:  Approved the contract with Ombudsman and the BCIU #22 for the period of 2009-2010 with a two-year renewal options if agreed upon by both parties in the amount of $657,800 pending receipt of district contracts.

 Approved support staff salaries and benefits for 2009-2010.

 Approved support staff salary and benefits contributions for 2009-2010.

 Approve the Executive Director’s 2008-2009 performance evaluation.

 Approved the IMT department re-organization plan.

NEXT MEETING:

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit Board of Directors is: Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at 7:00 p.m.