Meeting Minute Summary January 2014

Item 1–Statewide Special Education Task Force

Dr. Carl Cohn, Special Education Task Force Co-chair and Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) Liaison to the State Board of Education (SBE), reviewed task force goals, membership, principals guiding its work, and opportunities for public participation.

Item 2–Strategic Plan

Sara McClellan, Strategic Planning Consultant with WestEd, reviewed key actions taken by the three ACSE strategic planning content committees, and outlined a process for the committees to further refine concrete outcomes to achieve established goals. Workgroups met, including interested members of the public, and reported on progress.

Item 3–Commission Liaison Reports

Commissioners provided brief reports on activities conducted on behalf of their constituents and the ACSE.

Item 4–Public Comment

The ACSE received comments from the public and organizational representatives.

Item 5–Continue Strategic Action Plan Activities in Content Committees

Content committees continued to refine goals and charges under the strategic plan, and reported outcomes to the ACSE.

Item 6–ACSE Unfinished Business

The ACSE reviewed the revised strategic plan including the work conducted by committees on day one of this meeting. It was moved, seconded, and passed:

That the Advisory Commission on Special Education adopt the strategic plan with noted changes.

Item 7–Repeal of the Hughes Bill Regulations

Allison Smith, Education Programs Consultant, Special Education Division (SED), provided a report on Assembly Bill (AB) 86, which mandated the repeal of the regulations pertaining to behavior and added two new subsections to California Education Code, and discussion ensued. It was noted that the changes reduced unfunded mandates, and that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is still in full force to protect children with disabilities.

Item 8–Legislative Members and Liaison Reports

Deana Glick provided a report on behalf of Joan Buchanan, Assembly Member and Chair, Committee on Education. She noted that Assembly Member Buchanan continues to monitor implementation and assessment issues of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), including field tests for students with disabilities.

Dr. Cohn provided an update on the activities of SBE, and reported that adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) will be addressed at its upcoming meeting, and noted LCFF is of interest on the national level as it is an innovative approach to education funding.

Item 9–Public Comment

The ACSE received comments from the public and organizational representatives.

Item 10–Common Core State Standards and Assessment Update for Students with Disabilities

Kristen Brown, Ph.D., Education Programs Consultant, Policy and Program Services Unit, SED, California Department of Education (CDE); and Lily Roberts, Ph.D., Education Research and Evaluation Administrator, English Language Proficiency and Alternate Assessments Office, CDE; provided an update on the CCSS, National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC), and Smarter Balanced programs. Dr. Brown noted that the CCSS Symposium held in December is now posted on the CDE Web site, and that the NCSC Pilot program is currently underway. Dr. Roberts provided updates on AB 484 related to alternate assessments; the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP); and the status of the NCSC, noting future participation by California is currently undetermined. Discussion ensued and it was moved, seconded, and passed:

That the Advisory Commission on Special Education prepare and send a letter to Assembly Member Bonilla requesting emergency legislation to AB 484 to give only one assessment to the students who take the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), with a copy to Assembly Member Buchanan.

Item 11–Status Report Regarding Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP)

Christine Swenson, Director, Local Agency Systems Support, CDE, provided an update on the LCAP, which will be heard by the SBE at its March 2014 meeting.

Item 12–State Special Schools Director Report

Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools and Services Division, CDE, provided an overview on the services provided by the three state Diagnostic Centers.

Item 13–Special Education Director Report

Fred Balcom, Director, Special Education Division, CDE, provided a report on the current work being conducted on behalf of children with special needs at both the state and national level. This includes educating providers that special education is a service, not a separate place; focusing compliance efforts on results driven accountability to improve outcomes; establishing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework; and improving partnerships with stakeholders to improve outcomes for all students.

Item 14–Future Agenda Building

Commissioners were encouraged to contact the Vice Chair to provide recommendations for the next meeting agenda.