Announcements/ News

Open Research Items

Planning for Life After Special Education in Massachusetts: A Transition Services Online Manual (October 2011) is now available at http://www.dlc-ma.org/manual/

Bullying Prevention and Intervention Resources: The guidance and related resources can be found on the DESE's Bullying Prevention and Intervention web page under #9: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2012-2: Improving Data and Practices Regarding Disciplinary Removals of Students with Disabilities - Special Education http://www.doe.mass.edu/pdf/-sped-advisories-13_1ta.html.pdf

Dyslexia Toolkit : http://www.ncld.org/images/content/files/Dyslexia_101_E-Book.pdf provided by the National Center for Learning Disabilities

The Somerville Special Education Advocacy Project (SSEAP) is launching an innovative Advocate Training Fellowship program. For more information, Click here to download the Somerville Advocate Fellowship Application

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's memo regarding Procedures Lite has now been posted. You can review the memo at http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=6585 .

Facilitated IEP Team Meeting IEP team meeting facilitation is a voluntary process that can be used when the parties to an IEP meeting agree that the presence of a neutral third party would assist them in communicating and in the successfully drafting an IEP for a student. (click to continue)

Transition Hearing. The following is important information regarding a favorable decision in a recent BSEA hearing regarding Transitional services. click here Read the decision here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/bsea/decisions/08-5330.pdf

BCBS Neuropsychological Testing There had been confusion in some advocacy circles regarding the effective dates on the prior authorization for neuropsychological. testing for BCBSMA patients. The attached memo will clarify that and more.

BSEA Observation Ruling. .. ordering that a district provide a parent with up to 13 hours of access to her child's program for observation.... . . Read the decision here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/bsea/rulings/09-1335.pdf

Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump will release three final audits August 31st on the Merrimack Special Education Collaborative, the Southeastern Massachusetts Education Collaborative, and the READS Collaborative. All three audits can be found by visiting the website, www.mass.gov/auditor, August 31^st at 8 AM. In response to the serious issues raised by these audits concerning state and local oversight, governance, teacher certification and fiscal management, Auditor Bump, will also announce her recommendations in an effort to reform the entire statewide system of educational collaboratives. These recommendations will be also posted online at www.mass.gov/auditor after 1 PM September 1st.

New York Times: Court Says Parents of Special-Education Students Can Seek Reimbursement. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/education/23special.html

New Project Forum@NASDSE Document - Resolution Meetings: State Supports and Practices The following Project Forum document was recently prepared under Federal Cooperative Agreement H326F050001: download document

For more information on Circuit breaker funding, click here

Got a rejected IEP? Click here to learn about SpedEx..

BCBSMA will require prior authorization for Neuropsychological testing

DOE Mandates New Forms for SLD Eligibility http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/sld/

Bullying Prevention and Intervention Resources

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidelines for the Implementation of Social and Emotional Learning Curricula K-12 http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=6403