OUR CORE VALUES Our office aims to ensure access to equitable public - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

OUR CORE VALUES Our office aims to ensure access to equitable public educa4on for all students, regardless of race, class, income, disability status or ward of residence. We consider ourselves an “ac4vist” ombudsman office. We believe it is our responsibility to speak out against the systemic inequi4es that hurt our city’s children. We address issues that are brought to our aBen4on by providing direct interven4on; we also address these same issues on the systemic level through our engagement with local, state, and na4onal educa4on leaders. Our office is a venue for parents, students, and families to have a real voice in addressing systemic inequi4es that are causing our children, par4cularly children of color and students with disabili4es, to fail. We believe that by highligh4ng the systemic inequi4es in our schools, we aspire to a barrier-free system in which educa4on equity extends beyond formal equality and students have the opportunity to access their full poten4al through learning. WHAT IS AN OMBUDSMAN? The word Ombudsman comes from a Swedish word that means “trusted representa4ve.” The word has come to mean someone who assists consumers or ci4zens who are experiencing problems with corpora4ons or government organiza4ons. Our office is a member of the US Ombudsman Associa4on and the Interna4onal Ombudsman Associa4on. WHEN TO CONTACT US You‘re facing a problem you have not been able to resolve by speaking to the school principal. Communica4on between parent and school has broken down. You don’t know where to go for help. You’re having trouble finding the informa4on that you need. HOW TO CONTACT US Intake Hotline: 202-741-0886 (Staffed Monday – Friday from9:30 am to 5:00 pm) Online complaint form: hBp://educa4onombudsman.dc.gov

Office of the State Superintendent of Educa=on (OSSE) State Complaints Office (SCO) What? The Individuals with Disabili4es Educa4on Act (IDEA) requires OSSE to provide a 60 day complaint process that: - Independently reviews alleged viola4ons of special educa4on requirements that occurred not more than 1 year prior to the filing of the complaint, - Iden4fies failures to comply with the IDEA, and - Ensures implementa4on of student-level and systemic correc4ve ac4ons when a viola4on is found in the inves4ga4on. (34 CFR §§300.151 and 300.152) Who? Anyone can file a State complaint about a student-level or systemic special educa4on issue against any D.C. public agency responsible for providing educa4on to children with disabili4es. (34 CFR §300.53) Where? A model State complaint form is available on the OSSE website at: hBps://osse.dc.gov/service/specialized-educa4on-state-complaints. Complaint filing informa4on is on the form (email, fax, U.S. mail). Ques=ons? Contact Victoria Glick, State Complaints Manager at Victoria.Glick@dc.gov or (202) 724-7860.

Office of the State Superintendent of Educa=on (OSSE) Office of Dispute Resolu=on (ODR) The OSSE Office of Dispute Resolu=on (ODR) coordinates and manages the District of Columbia’s special educa4on due process system. When families and schools seek to resolve disagreements about a student’s special educa4on needs, ODR offers a variety of services to assist: • Due Process Hearings • Media4ons • Facilitated Resolu4on Mee4ngs • Facilitated IEP Mee4ngs ODR establishes and maintains policies to conduct these proceedings and ensure that families and schools have the support needed to provide the best educa4onal services possible for students. All of ODR’s services are provided free of charge and may be requested by a parent, adult student, or school.

• State Advisory Panel on Special Educa=on (SAPSE) - – Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 6 - 8 p.m. Parental Procedural Safeguards- Rights of Parents of Students with • Disabili=es: IDEA Part B – (hBps://osse.dc.gov/publica4on/rights-parents-students-disabili4es-idea- part-b-no4ce-procedural-safeguards) Parent Survey 2017-18 :Annual Performance Report for Dept. of Educa=on • – hBps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OSSEparentsurvey2016_17 Division of Systems and Supports, K-12 • Community Learning and School Support (CLASS) •

Advocates for Jus4ce and Educa4on • Advocates for Jus=ce and Educa=on, Inc. (AJE) is the federally designated Parent Training and Informa4on Center for the District of Columbia. • AJE's mission is to empower families, youth, and the community to be effec4ve advocates to ensure that children and youth, par4cularly those who have special needs, receive access to appropriate educa4on and health services. • AJE provides free training, resources, individual assistance, and support to parents and youth in naviga5ng the special educa5on process and addressing other educa5onal and health-related issues. AJE believes that all families should be equipped with the informa4on and knowledge they need to be informed decision makers and to achieve their desired outcomes.

Disability Rights DC (DRDC) is the Protec4on and Advocacy (P&A) program for individuals with disabilities in the District of Columbia. As the P&A, DRDC protects and advocates for the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities. DRDC provides individual and systemic legal representation, community outreach and educa4on, inves4ga4on of abuse and neglect, and policy work. All services are free to eligible individuals, according to DRDC’s annual priorities. Priori4es regarding Special Educa4on: • Inclusion of students with disabili4es in the Least Restric4ve Environment; • Transi4on services and supported decision making. For more informa+on or to complete an intake, call DRDC’s Intake Specialist, Marieka Cober, at (202) 547-0198. 220 I Street, NE, Suite 130 Washington, D.C. 20002 Phone: (202) 547-0198 Fax: (202) 547-2662 TTY: (202) 547-2657 www.uls-dc.org

DC Special Education Cooperative Our Vision All students with disabilities in the District of Columbia receive a rigorous, individualized, and • inclusive education preparing them for post-graduation success. Our Mission WE CULTIVATE programs and professionals committed to the best outcomes for students with • disabilities. WE COLLABORATE by bringing together schools and community members to share ideas, • leverage resources, and build capacity. WE INNOVATE by offering programs and services that move schools from compliance to quality. • Our History The DC Special Education Cooperative “Co-op” was founded in 1998 by charter school leaders, • teachers, special education experts, and local chartering authorities for purpose of providing charter schools with special education supports and services; the first of its kind in the nation. As the number of charter schools has increased so have the number of charter schools • participating in the Co-op. The current number of Co-op charter school LEAs is 55, 83 percent of all charter LEAs. Contact: Julie Camerata, Executive Director jcamerata@specialedcoop.org

The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is among the fastest improving urban districts in the na4on for • special educa4on. One of the goals of DCPS is to be the district of choice for students with disabili4es. We believe that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, can achieve at the highest levels. Parents, families, and community members play an essen4al role in the educa4on of their children, especially when a child has a disability and needs special services. You are an expert on your child and his or her most important advocate. DCPS is commiBed to working with you as a valued partner in ensuring your child receives an excellent special educa4on program. We believe that by working together with you, we can ensure that all our students receive a high-quality educa4on. DCPS has done a great deal of work in Special Educa4on in the last years and made considerable progress. • However, we know there is s4ll a lot of room to grow to drama4cally improve academic outcomes for all students. In 2016, we developed a new strategic plan to focus our work over the next three school years. This plan focuses on academic achievement, inclusion, and parent engagement - all to prepare students for success in college and careers. Our four strategic goals for school years 2016-2019 are as follows: Goal 1 : Increase academic achievement - PARCC proficiency levels improve by 10 percentage points Goal 2 : Include more students - 60% of students will receive instruc4on primarily in general educa4on serngs Goal 3 : Involve families in their child’s success - 85% of parents say they are sa4sfied with their child’s educa4onal program Goal 4 : Prepare students for college or the workforce - Increase four-year gradua4on rates to 55% We have a Special Educa4on Programs and Resources Guide for Families available to help you learn more • about our programs and we encourage you to reach out to us directly with ques4ons and comments. Contact informa4on for each of our programs and supports is included at the back of the guide. We look forward to a produc4ve and successful engagement with you and your child throughout your 4me with us!