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I apoligize for leaving the microphone on we will be starting soon.

I am trying to mute myself but can’t figure out how. Please help!

Everyone is muted upon entry and are not able to unmute yourself so you should be all set.

awesome

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Not started yet. All is quiet.

Not yet

I don't think it has just yet

We will be starting soon.

New to Zoom, how do I sign in?

You are in if you are accessing this, we have not yes started so it will be quiet right now.

I think you are in if you can send that message. It is just quiet right now- starting soon

Please add my e mail as Director of Student Services:

Meg Beauchamp - Director of Student Services SAU 39

wheelers@gccs-nh.org

Please add my email as Director of Special Education.

Elizabeth.noel@windhamacademy.org

Please add my email as Special Ed. Director

aszumiesz@capitalcitycharter.com

Please add my email: lkeliher@seresc.net

hav

Please add my email as well - melissa.moyer@tfanh.org

has the order for paraeducators/ rehab assistants been clarified

What if the sending district refuses to provide face to face services for small groups for IEP's.?

Please add the following emails: John Tuttle- jtuttle@eastersealsnh.org; Aisha Weaver- aweaver@eastersealsnh.org; and Keith Antaya-kantaya@eastersealsnh.org

Please add colleen.elliott@crotchedmountian.org and ami.okeefe@crotchedmountain.org

Can districts decide NOT to offer Tier 2 (on-site)?

what is your guidance around students who attend private programs in other states that are closed and not providing remote learning

Can you speak a little about how access to general education may look different, given that general education right now looks different? Are families feeling that “one hour of speech” for example, is automatically a “one hour of speech”compensatory? General education is not necessarily 6.5 hours a day right now….so it is not exactly a clear or Clean translation for compensatory ed…..I hope that makes sense.

Compensatory services should be based on where the student is when this is all said and done, not just for missed services if FAPE was provided which allowed progress towards their goals.

To add on to Martha's question, many of our schools are closed to the public, so we are not able to provide on-site learning. Are there ideas for this option?

Do NEW IEPs or expiring IEPs due for renewal need to be written with remote only in development? OR should new and expiring IEPs be developed as though we had all resources available?

What is the DOE guidance on IEP development and placement right now?

Do you anticipate tuition for OOD placements will be adjusted given the remote learning situation? While some may not be closed, many are doing remote learning only.

What do we do in the instance that neither parents nor students are responding to the district's attempts to provide remote services?

Agree with Marcy- we are paying to hold spots, and now being told to hire additional private providers to give services….

What if a parent isn't making their student available for our offered services?

will the NHDOE further define compensatory education and outline suggested data to be collected that demonstrates the need for compensatory education? Will there be funding available to school districts to assist in covering such costs? Also how does this apply to private special education schools who are contracted with LEA’s and have now moved from direct service to remote learning. If OOD providers who ARE closed, and are not able to provide the needed 1:1 services due to provider or family restrictions, what accountability measures will the NHDOE set forth?

Do we need to amend placement to reflect home instruction?

Please speak about Interim Service plans and the need to issue a WPN

How do we provide evaluations that are in progress?

Could you restate not amending IEPs? I feel like I missed something when you said we shouldn’t amend IEPs.

If you are suggesting we don't amend IEPs during this time, what is your suggestion to make sure parents understand what we are offering

do we need to amend the IEP if we are doing individual vs group services (group is stated in the IEP) or is it covered in the WPN?

What is your guidance for parents who refuse remote learning- it is offered- they do not want to access

What is your guidance for potential compensatory services when families have not engaged in opportunities during remote learning. Staff are tracking availability of services as well as efforts for engaging parents and students in the process. What happens when families do not engage despite copious efforts?

I think the issue is, with out of state, Massachusetts for example, is only doing enrichment. So, are our NH students covered with following enrichment only? Or is the DOE expecting us to replicate/provide remote learning for these students?

How does this play into EYP recommendations?

will there be published guidance relative to Comp Ed being driven by IEP team decisions rather than a 1:1 replacement?

Has HOME become the Least Restrictive Environment for development of IEP purposes?

Some districts are waiting to day 11 of closure to issue change of placement. Can you comment?

I second Rachel’s question

I think that we have to made a clarification between ESY services and making services up in the summer due to school closures

Rachel’s question - exactly

Please add mwiley@nashuaalc.org and awrobel@nashuaalc.org - Clearway Dir. & Spec. Ed. Coord.

Santina - I agreed - this will be challenging for parents to understand

Can you speak to the conflict between what came out about not doing evaluations for 504 during this time, but we are being held to IDEA evaluation timelines….

Follow up to evaluation timelines:

how are we getting signatures on

documents including eligibility forms and IEPs

Materials etc are in the buildings and we do not all have access to the buildings to get updated info for the new assessments...

re-evals not new

Can families agree to assess when school is back in session thus pushing out the 60 days?

Do we know when a decision will be made as far as extending the school closing?

The answer to the IEP development (new and expiring) question means that we're promising the Cadillac knowing we only have Pintos on the lot.

What do we do about initial evaluation timelines for students referred via early intervention? How do we manage this process?

Will we be able to pay staff with grant money, as approved?

If Interim Service Plans are needed, some staff and districts will need to provide more than 100+ plans with student specific WPN's. Is this the recommended process or is it more than needed?

If you are rewriting the definition of compensatory education, would you also be identifying any new dispute resolution options for districts when there is a disagreement with parents?

Is it appropriate to write current annual or initial IEPs with services through June 30 as provided in the remote setting? The end date would ensure the team regroups once we return to school.

so, if most of the DOE is working from home right now, I continue to struggle with asking our special educators to come in and provide small group instruction. We do not have control over the social distancing practices of those students and families that we may call in for services thus putting everyone at continued risk.

Some of us do not even have a budget for 20-21, given our town meetings have been pushed back and not voted on. Any fiscal support or backing by the DOE would be greatly appreciated.

Interim service plans were referenced in the advisory from DrummondWoodsum.

Should charter schools that are providing special education services assume that we continue to provide services through a remote learning instructional model? Or do we need to solidify this agreement with each sending district?

What are you going to do with Idea Grants?

SInce many of our documents will be sent virtually, can the DOE ensure the Procedural Safeguards link is posted on their website.

It's not currently available

Would the DOE be willing to put the IEP amendment discussion into a memo or a document we can share with Superintendents and families, as needed?

There is a lot of confusion on this. The IEP amendment issue

Agree with Marcia Bagley's request to please post safeguards on NHDOE website so we may refer parents to it.

It would be very helpful to have compensatory ed explicitly state that it is a team decision based on skills lost/regression and not necessarily 1-1 recovery of services not rendered.

I’d like to hear the answer to the question from Becky about Mass private placements

I would like to reallocate some IDEA money to provide needed technology to students. Will the approval process be easier - faster - so we can get this out to students.

I think may of us have the same question as Becky since enrichment is impacting a large amount of students placed in Mass schools.

I also have the same question as Becky around the out of state schools

Initial evaluations - the process can just be stopped by the team deciding that the information in hand is not sufficient to determine that a disability exists, so student is found not eligible at this time . Stop the process and set a date to revisit the referral and begin the process again. Isn’t this the suggestion that has been given in the past for situation like multiple snow days, etc.

I agree with Becky Forrestall’s comment about the DOE putting in writing a memo stating not to amend IEPs, that IEPs should be written knowing that we can provide services, and placement at home is not amend because all students are there…however, where does RR and self-contained fit into the situation?

Sorry- was discussing out of district students who attend Massachusetts placements-

If the DOE’s comp ed guidance document could compare/contrast the ESY decision making process that may help with these decisions.

I'm Rachel :)

Do we know when the commissioner will make a decision about the April 3rd Date?

will the state except an electric signature?

Becky Forrestall's question is something a lot of us are struggling with at this time. There is one specific school in MA providing minimal services and " enrichment".

For new evaluations that are in process and can't be completed due to not doing in person evaluations at this time, should we not find the child eligible for now and then reactivate the process where we left off when school is back in session or when we are able to do an in-person evaluations? This would not be the same for re-evaluations. For Re-evals we would continue with eligibility until we can conduct evaluations in person. Do you agree with these suggestions?

How will staff positions in IDEA be handled? Is it enough to document what staff are doing during the remote learning?

Should we be aiming to provide the stated number of minutes in service delivery grids? I.E. 1X60 minutes of reading instruction per 5 day cycle It seems as though regular ed students are being asked to complete a reduced workload during remote learning.

Will the state accept parent emails confirming acceptance in lieu of signatures?

I believe the 15 days start when we receive the referral?

Second Jen P.'s question, are emails satisfactory for acceptance?

If the timeline is not changing, how do we evaluate for incoming three year olds? Can we use early intervention evals?

Who is taking care of IDEA Grants. We might need to move funds.

Are out of state employees (like from Mass) considered essential employees if they are supporting our districts. Do you have any guidance on how to support these folks?

so, if the parent agrees to produce the child for an evaluation but the evaluator refuses to conduct the evaluation, then what?

We need the Safeguards available to parents to access

What are the Directors at the State level (across the country)doing to help OSEP understand our issues surrounding evaluations, IEPs and timelines

Good question Karen

would the bureau please assure that your messages and memos are being sent to every director? I did not get this invite until this morning.

I am asking for MA students placed in NH schools We are providing real instruction and expect to bill for those services

Will the state except an electric signature from families?

Just to try and help with the Massachusetts question- Massachusetts as a state, is not providing any “general ed” other than enrichment for all students during this time. So, our students who we have placed in out of district placements, while technically are NH students, attend school in Mass who are using this enrichment guideline. They are not providing any special education, as that is not required for enrichment.

So how do we deal with our NH students in Massachusetts placements, who are now at home, due to shut downs....

Is it appropriate to write current annual or initial IEPs with services through June 30 as provided in the remote setting? The end date would ensure the team regroups once we return to school.

if we aren't feasibly able to provide (ex 5x60min/week) , but we ARE able to provide a blend of tech and activity to provide meaningful support that is less time, there is no need to amend the IEP from 5x60 to 2x30?

Thoughts on a student that was on a long term suspension and was being provided 10 hours of tutoring.

Can we set up a separate call for folks dealing with Mass programs and staff who live there. I think the issues stemming from MASS state orders and how they apply to NH.

Thanks Rebecca, can we start emailing them(OSEP) also, who should we send emails to?

can you answer the electronic signature question please

Great idea, Amy!

When you get additional guidance on electronic signatures… can we get email confirmation/electronic signature to implement IEP but also follow up with original? Our schools will not be able to check postal mail so having electronic would allow implementation

Will we have an extension on spending our IDEA funds that are due to close on September 30, 2020?

For grant questions please contact: Danielle.Younie@doe.nh.gov

How are you suggesting our services are documented though a special education process vs just good documentation, given that you are are not suggesting or aware of Interim Service Plans , WPN and Parental Response.

Rebecca, you are not off your game. You are doing well. Thank you.

As FYI, the NH School Administrators Association is sending a letter to our NH delegation outlining concerns regarding IDEA compliance with a cc to our Governor and Commissioner. I am guessing other Associations and individuals will follow suit. Also, this is a national effort of all superintendents.

Welcome to your job, Becky!!!

Can you please provide everyone the answers as some of us may have the same questions?

Agree that all answers should go to all of us.

Any info about including speech therapists, OT and PT in the Telehealth Medicaid information from last week?

Thanks Becky, this was helpful. I understand we are all dancing as fast as we can (and my dancing is not pretty)!!

Can you include charter schools? I received a referral yesterday...after the parent agreed to wait to hold off on the process until after school resumes. It seems that we all need to work together now more than ever, not charter schools fighting public schools....

I agree with Anne. We need to cooperate and support each other more than ever, now.

The Parent Information Center is working closely with the NH DOE and the Associations. We all need to work together and we are hearing amazing things happening across the state. Thank you for that. I echo what Becky has said multiple times, please continue to communicate with and support families.

I have received emails regarding 402 corrections need to be made within 5 days. Will there be flexibility with this?

what is your contact info again?

Any changes for districts selected to send out parent surveys? I think parents are overwhelmed with communications and will be less likely to send them in, and how would we know if their responses are around their regular special ed or just remote special ed

How can we access the recording of this session after it has ended?

Rebecca.Fredette@doe.nh.gov

Rebecca Fredette: 271-6693

thank you for all the information and we do appreciate it!!!!!!!

THANK YOU

Thank you

Thank you for all of your efforts!

THANK YOU!!

Thank you !!

Thank you.

Thanks so much for doing this

Thank you!

Thank you

Yes, thank you!

thank you!

Thank you!

Will there be another call this week?

Thank you!

Thank you

Thanks Becky!!!! Nice Work Everyone!!!!

Thanks for the continuing guidance. We appreciate it!

Thank you!

Thank you Becky

Thank you. This was very helpful.

Thank you so much for doing this! Stay Healthy everyone!

Thank you

Thanks! Great job - we all appreciate your work!

Tu/Thurs might be good

Thank you!

Bye thanks!

Thank you

Thank you Becky!!

Thank you!

thank you!