Indianagram_November2020

NOVEMBER 2020 ■ VOLUME 22 ■ NUMBER 10

Interventions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2020 ■ VOLUME 22 ■ NUMBER 10

The Indiana Association of School Principals leads in the advocacy and support of all principals in their commitment to every child.

Interventions (RTI/MTSS) President’s Letter - Interventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 INTERVENTIONS

Exclusion is NOT Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Tiffany Barrett Steve Samuel Kelly Storms Matt Stark Debra Misecko Jared Leiker Roy Hufford Keith Burke Kevin Rockey Andrew Hawk Troy Albert Rick Hunt Chrystal Street Lori Graham Nicholas Mitchaner Jason Cary

STEM Integrations Community Partnership Series: Addressing Students’ Needs Through the Multi-Tiered System of Support with Community Partnerships and STEM/STEAM Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Every Child. Every Chance. Every Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Indiana Superintendents’ Sensemaking Of E-Learning Days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 IPLI News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Riley Kids Caring & Sharing Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Spotlight on Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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LEGAL REVIEW

Situation Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Special Education Law Review & Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Interventions Within approximately a week’s span of time, I did a couple of really dumb things. I was working on my basement putting up walls. While using a nail gun to build the stud walls, I shot a nail into my finger. Although somewhat painful, it wasn’t the stupidest thing I did that week. Something I did while grilling was even dumber and potentially more dangerous. My typical routine is to open the lid, start the gas grill, and close the lid. This time I was distracted during that very short process.

When I brought the food to put on the grill, I lifted the lid and noticed that there was no fire. Instead of letting the gas dissipate into the air, I immediately hit the switch that creates a spark to start the fire. Since the gas was contained within the grill, it actually created a very minor explosion sending flames at my face and singeing my eyebrows, some hair on my head, and all the hair on my hands. Other than a few lost hairs and a blow to my ego, there was no other major damage and for that I’m thankful. However, it could have been much worse.

Although I could have really used some intervention to help prevent these catastrophes, there were no interventions to be found, and this isn’t something we can say to our students. This year more than ever our students will need academic and emotional interventions. My school’s school year started out with total virtual learning on August 12. On September 8 we started hybrid. We had students walk into our building not knowing how to log into our learning management system. They not only missed out on the last three months of school last year but also missed out on the first month of school this year. If that wasn’t bad enough, many of these same students were already a grade level or more behind. We can’t simply keep moving forward.

It’s not like most of us haven’t already had some tiered system of interventions. It is that this year has greater challenges. Not only do we have students who are further behind, but we are also limited to how we can access these students due to the restrictions in place because of COVID. We have to think outside the box more than ever. We need each other more than ever. This month’s Indianagram is full of ideas and resources to help us with our interventions in school. Plus, November is our annual Assistant Principal and Principal Fall Conference. This is a great time to attend sessions focused on interventions as well as connect with other principals around the state to share ideas on how they are meeting these new challenges. The great thing about this year is if you register you will have access to these resources after the conference is all over. When you are in your office or sitting at home, you can quickly access the resources from the break out sessions even if you didn’t attend. Immediately as you are trying to solve your intervention problems at your school you will have the notes, ideas, and other materials that may help you in your situation. Also, if you or your district feels that it is not safe for you to come to the in-person portion of the conference, we will have all portions available virtually. I hope to see you there whether in-person or virtual.

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

IASP Executive Committee Eric Gilpin President Aimee Lunsford President-Elect Our November issue of the Indianagram is ready for you to enjoy, and to find those items that can be applied directly to helping your students. Little did we know how applicable this topic would be as the editorial board laid out the monthly themes, we only wish that we could come and sit with each of you to directly help you consider which interventions are best for our in-person/hybrid/virtual school setting. What we do know, however, is that you are in the best position to assist your students, and along with advice from trusted staff and colleagues, you will continue to intervene where and when students need it most. These academic and mental health interventions are just another way our Indiana students are blessed to have you in school leadership, and why IASP proudly says, “Indiana Principals and Assistant Principals are the best!!” We celebrate and thank you for your leadership, our best to you as we close out 2020.

Matt Shockley Vice President Lizz Walters Past President Kelly McPike NAESP State Representative Dave Strouse NASSP State Coordinator Steve Baker Liaison to the DOE Amy Boone Assistant Principal Liaison

Dr. Todd D. Bess IASP Executive Director

Future Indianagram themes Professional Learning Communities

January 2021

Alternative Education/Traditional Education

February 2021

Digital & Physical Building and School Safety

March 2021

Culture/Celebrations

April 2021

Highlighting Community Partnerships

May 2021

Professional Development

June 2021

Share your thoughts on the Indianagram https://forms.gle/sCmLHwnh4aYcTJdr8

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Reflect Restore e z i l a t i v e R e t a r e n e Reg

Leader Chat

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November 12, 2020 January 14, 2021 February 11, 2021 March 11, 2021 April 15, 2021

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INTERVENTIONS

Exclusion is NOT Intervention Kelly Storms Gateway Academy Director NLCS As I began working to build a program that would offer different avenues for our district’s students in need of supports, one phrase continuously came to mind, “Exclusion is not intervention”. During the National Youth at Risk Conference, I heard this phrase for the first time. I could not let it go and have referred to it often, using it as I address our school administrators, my school board of directors, and community leaders.

Initially, the phrase simply meant, “Let’s stop suspending and expelling students and find a way to keep them in school”. My superintendent had stated to me on several occasions that he was concerned and shocked at the number of expulsions he was signing and wanted to explore a way to minimize this number. After all, expulsions tend to translate into a decreased graduation rate and this is extremely important factor for school districts and for community. The immediate answer was an alternative program where students could serve suspension and expulsion time away from their school campus, but maintain a structured school day and continue to earn credits. This took very little time and planning to formulate. What has developed since then and what I have

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come to understand at a much deeper level about exclusion is what is most important.

effectively to prevent exclusion and improve both educational and health outcomes in later life.”

I have learned that I have a ”lane”, as do my staff, and it is to the benefit of our students that we stay in our lanes. We are not doctors, therapists, or counselors. We do have the ability however to determine when such supports are needed and can do two things in response to this knowledge.

First, we can step back, understand that we may just not understand, and put our student in touch with the proper resources via appropriate channels.

Secondly, we can exercise patience knowing that our top priority, academic success, is going to take some time.

This brings back the idea of exclusion.

When there is a lack of patience or perhaps no alternative approach for youth in need, there is often a quick response to exclude in some fashion.

This creates a vicious cycle for the youth. Excluding from school may also prolong or prevent the response needed to provide outside supports that school personnel could have helped the youth or parents initiate. Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Tamsin Ford said; “This research provides further evidence that poor mental health may be both cause and effect of exclusion from school. These children are often facing a wide range of challenges, and need both education and mental health practitioners to act quickly and

School administrators must begin to understand the effects of school exclusion. We must strive to meet the challenge of finding ways to assist students in need while they are under our daily care and supervision. A gradual refocus on academics can begin without ever leaving the learning environment, the educator support, or losing touch with the daily routine of attending school. Of course, there will be times that an administrator determines it necessary to remove a student from a class, sport or club, or even the campus for a brief time.

However, being mindful that exclusion most likely will have a lasting negative impact on the child and may even have a negative community impact could encourage us to assist at risk students in ways not previously attempted.

Every school administrator that takes the time to empower his/her staff to reach out to at risk students while staying in their lane, has the potential to create far reaching systemic change.

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So who are the excluded? It is important to note here that student exclusion can be a result of direction by authority, by choice, or even indirectly without knowledge of it even happening. Students at risk and beyond have no specific appearance or

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INTERVENTIONS

standard exhibition of behavior. Many students in need of emotional supports are achieving academically and appear to be fine on the surface. Many simply do not know how to articulate what they are feeling or who to reach out to for help. Imagine those youth with an adult to approach that could advocate for needed resources. My guess is that those students now have a better chance to achieve more, be involved greater socially, and be an overall happier youth. We must be mindful that the best achieving students might achieve even more given the needed emotional support. Consider also that the expelled student may very well have stayed engaged and become academically successful provided emotional supports and effective interventions. Building relationships and knowing our students is the first step to identifying those that need us to help. They do not need us to be everything but rather to advocate for them so that they might receive more than the traditional education process is providing. School personnel are so very important in the lives of our youth. Excellent instruction is very important, but being a teacher goes beyond content knowledge, especially in today’s world.

Providing programs that will allow educators to take risks, try something new, or make appropriate allowances for our students in need, opens doors. Establishing partnerships with community agencies, business, and service providers can result in countless opportunities for all stakeholders. These are new opportunities for students and staff to work alongside one another in search of success. Success such as academic achievement, increased student attendance, decreased student dropout rates, decreased suspensions and expulsions, increased self-esteem, increased student emotional quotient (EQ), increased employment rates, and decreased prison rates (Hendershott, J., Reaching the Wounded Students; 2009)

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The more informed I become about at risk youth, the clearer it becomes just how impactful our education system could become simply by acknowledging this group in a culturally responsive manner. One definition of culture is; “the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior, that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations (MerriamWebster Dictionary, 2008). If we think of those students in need of emotional supports as simply a sub-culture within our schools and we pledge to be a culturally responsive leader we all win. Empowering our teachers to be patient with what needs to happen emotionally so that gradually academic achievement can take place should be a school administrator’s professional obligation. I recently heard Dr. Dennisha Murff state when describing the Culturally Responsive Leader; “The journey starts with me. Accountability measures do not counter personal biases.” While she was addressing the topic of racial bias, this could also easily be applied to our students less engaged, exhibiting concerning behaviors, or having poor attendance. The point in which I am arriving is that, when we change our approach to meet the needs of the student culture there is a greater chance for overall success.

When you meet the child where they are in that moment and then are able to guide and encourage them to a point of success, a lot of stuff takes place on that journey. The results of that journey are personal for the youth, their family, and the future generations that they will positively influence because they had success, found a better emotional state, or were just able to approach the world with greater confidence and selfesteem. Imagine the wounded youth, once seriously at risk and defeated, now a confident parent and the impact that has on their children. Think of the community. Better attendance rates, greater student engagement, and increased graduation rates mean a community with less crime and greater employability.

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Our communities need us, the educators, to provide options that allow for greater student success. By immersing our students in what they need, rather than excluding them from what in the present moment may seem unmanageable or simply not working, we all win. Consider any one of the following for your school: ■ Providing an environment that offers patience with academic progress and advocates for emotional supports and healing ■ Offering coursework in which the student can have some choice and ownership, perhaps working at their own pace while they are addressing emotional needs ■ Provide a program that allows for continuing coursework and receiving counseling services as an alternative to out of school suspension or expulsion ■ Provide outlets such as physical fitness time ■ Offer opportunities for community service to build self-esteem and grow a sense of belonging Taking time to find even one way to change the current educational environment to reduce exclusion, mandated, by choice, or occurring indirectly, will reap great rewards.

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INTERVENTIONS

STEM Integrations Community Partnership Series: Addressing Students’ Needs Through the MultiTiered System of Support with Community Partnerships and STEM/STEAM Learning Krista M. Stith STEM Integrations, LLC

Rachel L. Geesa STEM Integrations, LLC To maximize success for all students through the lens of equity, the MultiTiered System of Support (MTSS) was introduced into Indiana schools. MTSS is an evidence-based educational model that necessitates data and problem solving to integrate and improve student academic, behavior, and socialemotional instruction and intervention.

The framework also stems from Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) with Response to Intervention (RTI) to holistically make decisions and alleviate the disproportionality that exists in education (Ehlers, 2018).

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In September’s Indianagram, we wrote our first segment of the STEM Integrations Community Partnership series through using external stakeholders (e.g., business and industry representatives, non-profits, academia) to academically enrich student-centered curricula in STEM/ STEAM education. Instructional and curricular approaches, supported by community partners, can be offered to all students in the classroom through project-, problem-, or design-based pedagogies. Effective and culturallyrelevant core instruction for all students can be implemented to “engage in a variety of thought-provoking activities such as explaining, finding evidence and examples, generalizing, applying, making analogies and representing the topic in new ways” (Mercado, 2018, p.

6). We encourage community partners’ continued role as provisioning student interests and strengths in authentic

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contexts, which are critical tenets to the MTSS framework.

In October’s Indianagram, our second segment, we highlighted the opportunities possible through integrating social and emotional health (SEL) through STEM/STEAM education and community partnerships. We aligned the seven SEL competencies through STEM/STEAM learning: mindset, collaboration, connection, regulation, sensory-motor integrations, insight, and critical thinking and provided examples of organizations throughout Indiana.

For November, we want to consider how community partnerships also may serve as one part of a multi-tiered solution to position a school or district into optimizing the MTSS framework and promoting equity and inclusion for all students.

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INTERVENTIONS

Community-based organizations can support the school infrastructures to address the various behavioral health needs that will support students in meeting desired levels of performance.

For example, the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) provides layered resources and training that focus on families and communities, economic well-being, education, and health. Professional learning trainings are available in Strategic Planning for Positive Impact, Board or Staff Retreats, Elements of Effective Practice in Youth Mentoring, Essentials to Mentoring Boys and Young Men of Color, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and other topics tailored to school and district needs.

The Indiana Department of Education (2020) focuses on social, emotional, and behavioral wellness and provides professional learning opportunities, toolkits, roadmaps, and resources to advance wellness initiatives in schools and districts.

Equity-Based MTSS and STEM Certification According to McCart and Miller (2019), an equity-based MTSS “helps school teams engage all students across the full range of learning needs. MTSS ensures that the vision of equity for every student is achieved, with high expectations and quality instruction, while not straining a school’s budget or personnel” (para. 1). Community partnerships can help schools address equity in student academic and social, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes through multidisciplinary collaboration.

As school leaders and leadership team members consider the need for equitable STEM/STEAM programming for students to be career and college ready, partnerships throughout the community organizations should be developed, fostered, and sustained.

An additional benefit to this approach is that a well-implemented MTSS framework indirectly positions Indiana schools towards STEM Certification.

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Critical elements of the Indiana Department of Education STEM School Certification Rubric elements focus on equity in school culture, curriculum, and community partnerships.

When schools strive to become “STEM Certified,” leaders are responsible for guiding students, teachers, staff, and other stakeholders to ensure all students have opportunities to learn and succeed in STEM/STEAM disciplines.

Performance indicators from the STEM Certification Rubric include: ■ 1.10 Culture/Equity- 100 percent of students participate in integrated STEM instruction/programming (elementary school); and STEM elective enrollment, including AP/dual credit, mirrors school demographics (middle and high schools); ■ 2.4 Curriculum/Equity - General education teachers are connected with appropriate special education teachers and support services teachers (ENL, Interpreters, etc...) for necessary material development and refinement for diverse learners based upon their understanding of students’ academic needs; and ■ 4.5 Community Partnerships/ Equity- Provides at least three opportunities/modes to inspire and inform under-represented students about careers in STEM fields.

learning environments, and equitable STEM/STEAM opportunities for diverse student populations. With integrating community partnerships to support these efforts, we lay the groundwork for students to be academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally ready for college and career opportunities. In our next segment of the Community Partnerships series, we will share enriching strategies to prepare teachers for ensuring students are STEM/ STEAM-capable through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).

For more information on how to build equitable STEM/STEAM education opportunities or best practices in applying for Indiana STEM Certified School status, contact us at www. stemintegrations.com or contact@ stemintegrations.com.

References: Ehlers, L. (2018). MTSS vs RTI vs PBIS- What’s the difference? Illuminate Education. https://www. illuminateed.com/blog/2018/11/mtss-vs-rti-vspbis-whats-the-difference/ Indiana Department of Education. (2020). Social, emotional, and behavioral wellness. https://www. doe.in.gov/sebw Mercado, F. (2018). Whole Child Framework: Supporting educators in their plight toward MTSS and equity. CLEARvoz Journal, 18(2), 1-14. https:// journals.sfu.ca/cvj/index.php/cvj/article/view/39

Community partnerships can impact the leadership team and school stakeholders for equitable and inclusive STEM/ STEM practices through resources and expertise. The leadership team should identify the qualities and characteristics of high-quality community partnerships and develop inclusive instructional and culturally relevant practices for sustainable community partnerships.

Informed school educational leaders are needed to lead the complex and ambiguous processes to prepare a program infrastructure that supports interdisciplinary curricula, collaborative

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INTERVENTIONS

Every Child. Every Chance. Every Day. Jody French Principal Perry Central Jr/Sr High School

us to meet our students where they are, equip them with skills they need and take them as far as we can. Below are some of the tools Perry Central uses in its framework:

At the entrance of a common area in our school are the words ‘ Every Child. Every Chance. Every Day.” Each time I walk through that area of the school, it reminds me of the importance of our work and our focus on meeting the needs of each and every student in our building. The system we use to help focus on developing the whole child is our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Framework.

The MTSS framework was developed by combining Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports. MTSS is one coherent, strategically combined system that would allow us to meet the needs of every student in our building, consisting of essential components such as core instruction, tiered system of evidence-based interventions and supports, universal screenings, progress monitoring and data based decision making.

MTSS is a tiered system that includes behavioral, social emotional and academic supports. Even though it is difficult sometimes, most efforts should be spent in Tier 1 as it should support 80% or more of the students in the building. If schools are not careful, they can end up with an inverted triangle, focusing more of their time Tier 3 interventions.

At Perry Central, we conduct a team meeting monthly to look at data and determine the needs of all of our students.

Team members include social workers, guidance counselors, administrators, school resource officer, and selected teachers.

Our conversations range from data driven student needs to a broader view such as discussing professional development needs and supporting new teachers. Regardless of the conversation, we use our MTSS framework to provide evidence-based support. Dr. Ross Green tells us that “Kids do well if they can.” The MTSS system is a framework that allows

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Tier 1 - A strong Tier 1 system should allow for 80-85% of your students to be successful.

■ Academic: At Perry Central, our Professional Learning Communities (PLC) have been studying Mike Schmoker’s Book, FOCUS, 2nd Edition and working on a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum. We also provide professional development to teachers using Robert Marzano’s Art and Science of Teaching Instructional Framework. These two components are important for strong core instruction. We use IReady, Dibels and Standards-Based Grading data to progress monitor students’ academic needs. We have been spending a lot of time providing professional development and supports around Formative Assessment and Daily Check-In activities as well.

■ Social Emotional: Perry Central has developed its own Social Emotional Learning Curriculum for students in grades K-10 aligned to the Indiana State Standards.

Panorama Education is also new to Perry Central. It is a comprehensive, universal screener that allows us to progress monitor students for social-emotional skill sets, identifying students with social skill deficits, attendance issues and discipline referrals. Our MTSS Leadership team meets monthly to monitor data, determine who should receive small group counseling services based on this data.

This information also drives the types of lessons that we are teaching in the classroom.

■ Behavior: Our faculty and staff have been heavily trained in Conscious Discipline, Trauma Informed Schools and PBIS. We know that predictability + consistency = trust as teachers present school-wide expectation lessons to all students. Brain Aligned Discipline practices and strong relationship building are at the core of Tier 1 for behavior.

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INTERVENTIONS

Tier 2 - Tier 2 supports are more targeted and serve 15-20% of students. Multiple data points are utilized to determine what is needed.

■ Academic: Perry Central follows research based, best grading practices. Instead of teachers placing zeros in the gradebook, students are assigned to Learning Lunch (during the school day) or after school mandatory sessions that require students to complete work. We believe all work assigned by teachers is important for learning and we want to ensure all of our students are taking advantage of the opportunity. Systems are put in place to ensure student success. We also build in remediation time during each school day and provide after school tutoring daily.

■ Social-Emotional: Perry Central employs three socialworkers, a guidance counselor and a Social-Emotional Director. As a Project Aware school, we have also set up Memorandums of Understanding with local mental health service providers. This allows our outside providers the opportunity to see students at Perry Central during the school day. We also contract services for small group counseling through this process as well.

■ Behavior: Focusing on Conscious Discipline and Brain-Aligned Discipline strategies, Perry Central has strengthened our behavior supports. Intentional Professional Development has been provided for faculty and staff across the corporation around replacing our ISS for a brain aligned reflection room, utilizing restorative practices our school mentoring program and other resources.

Tier 3 - Intensive services for 1-5% of our student body.

■ Behavior: One of our newer supports for behavior includes the creation of a county-wide Dual Status Team. Perry County Probation Office, Department of Child Services, local mental health counseling providers and all three schools in our county are a part of the team that meets monthly. The goal is to take a proactive approach to help students/families in need and use the probation system as leverage to ensure the proper resources are utilized. We also partner with the Perry County Court and Probation offices.

■ Academic: A continuation of supports, utilizing special education interventions, after-school programming and more.

■ Social-Emotional: Developing strong relationships with mental health community partners is key for Tier 3 interventions. We work closely with these partnerships to make referrals to outside counseling, utilize wrap-around services for families and CMHI/CMHW services.

Dr. Ross Green tells us that “Kids do well if they can.” The MTSS system is a framework that allows us to meet our students where they are, equip them with skills they need and take them as far as we can.

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IASP would like to congratulate all of the 2020 District Honorees District Assistant Principals of the Year Gaelyn Mlynarcik District 1

Troy Kauffman District 2

Adam McAfee District 3

Jonathan Guthrie District 4

Joseph Bowman District 5

Laura Brazil District 6

James Claybourn District 7

Matthew Hines District 8

Loriann Wessel District 9

Jamie Rosfeld District 10

Kris Warner District 11

Ryan Apple District 12

District Elementary Principals of the Year Loren Hershberger District 1

Donna Biggs District 2

Bradley Bakle District 3

Shannon Cauble District 4

Matthew Miller District 5

Julie Gregg District 6

Dennisha Murff District 7

Suzanne Marrs District 8

Brooke Phillips District 9

Kara Holdsworth District 10

Melissa Pancake District 11

Laura Morris District 12

District Middle School Principals of the Year Greg Mikulich District 1

Jan Baker District 2

Joshua St. John District 3

Scott Van Der Aa District 4

Crystal Murff Thorpe District 5

Kathryn Lash District 6

Rick Rosebrough District 7

Sarah Gore District 8

Edwina McGowen District 9

Ryan Mikus District 10

Ryan Case District 11

Keith Bush District 12

District High School Principals of the Year

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Michael Wells District 1

Troy Akers District 2

David Parker District 3

Michael Cox District 4

Rick Davis District 5

Renee Lakes District 6

Rebecca Daugherty-Saunders District 7

Matthew Shockley District 8

Brian Disney District 9

Grant Peters District 10

Steve Peterson District 11

Julie Straight District 12

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2020 Principal of the Year Winners Jonathan Guthrie – District 4 Assistant Principal of the Year

A graduate in 2008 of Purdue with bachelor degrees in chemistry, chemistry education, and biology education, Jonathan Guthrie took his Master of Science in education administration at Butler in 2018.

Beginning his career teaching chemistry and biology at North Montgomery High School (Crawfordsville) in 2007, he became assistant principal there in 2014. Outside of school, Jonathan sits on the board of the Drug Free Montgomery County Coalition and has served as vicepresident of Volunteers for Mental Health of Montgomery County since 2015. An accomplished presenter on diverse education topics, his proudest achievement is the work he continues to do in implementing applied educational neuroscience into the practice and curriculum of his high school. In response to three student suicides, he and two others took a certification course in Applied Education Neuroscience at Butler. Jonathan asserts that his role in the high school is “to work in conjunction with our students and teachers to create a learning environment where all students are in a calm state of alertness, ready to access their prefrontal cortex for learning, complex thinking, and planning.” His superintendent writes of him, “Mr. Guthrie is the master of conflict resolution and human relations.”

Dennisha Murff – District 7 Elementary Principal of the Year

Dennisha Murff earned her Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education and kindergarten/primary education as well as her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Ball State University in 1999. From 1999 to 2003 she taught at Rhoades Elementary School (MSD of Perry Township in Marion County). After earning her Master of Science degree in education through Indiana Wesleyan University in 2002, she became assistant principal at North Wayne Elementary School (MSDPT). Having earned her educational administration licensure at Indiana University in 2004, she has served as principal of Westlake Elementary School (MSDPT) since 2007. In 2017, Dennisha completed work on her Ph.D. in educational leadership through Purdue University.

She is proud of the focus on a culturally responsive and equitable learning environment provided for students, staff, and families, especially regarding the involvement of her staff. She used the Equity Audit conducted in 2014 to plan professional learning activities and meets with each staff member to discuss individual student data. Dennisha’s superintendent writes of her, “Dr. Murff has created a culture of excellence. A culture where professional development is focused on delivering a viable high-quality curriculum. A culture where all staff are united in the mission of the school. A culture where student achievement and school spirit have both increased.”

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2020 Principal of the Year Winners Crystal Murff Thorpe – District 5 Middle School Principal of the Year

role model.”

After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in secondary English education, Crystal Murff Thorpe began her career teaching at Ben Davis High School in 1992. In 1996, she received her Master of Science degree in secondary supervision and administration. Then in 2000, she took on the role of assistant principal at Southport Middle School (MSD Perry Township in Marion County), moving to Fulton Junior High School/Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center in the same role in 2001. Then, in 2007, she became principal of Fishers Junior High School (Hamilton Southeastern Schools), going on to earn her Ph.D. in education administration in 2019.

Crystal takes pride in the renewal of purpose for math instruction which led to the school’s participation in a documentary on the subject directed

by Vicki Abeles. She also sings the praises of her students’ involvement in the Day of Service implemented in 2018 as well as their successes in the We the People competition in which they have won four national championships. Her superintendent says, “Dr. Thorpe presents as a civic

Matthew Shockley – District 8 High School Principal of the Year

Principal of Avon High School, Matthew Shockley earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Hanover College in 1993 and his Master of Science degree in education from Butler in 1999. Starting his career at Tipton High School in 1993, he first taught special education and then social studies.

In 1999, he took on the role of assistant principal there until 2001 when he moved to Center Grove High School in the same position. From 2004 to 2013, Matthew was the principal at Center Grove High School; then, in 2013, he assumed that role at Avon High School. Among his proudest achievements there he counts the Junior Day of Caring in partnership with the United Way. On the same day, seniors, 100 of them trained the prior evening, lead small groups and facilitate team-building activities.

For freshmen and their families, he employs a variety of information and orientation events. Additionally, at the invitation of the IDOE, Avon High School adopted the Jobs for America program to help students at risk of not completing high school. In addition, a Work-Based Learning Coordinator reinvigorated the school’s internship program. Under his leadership, his school has achieved numerous academic honors. Matthew’s superintendent characterizes him as “charismatic, forward thinking, and extraordinarily passionate about making a difference in the lives of our youth.”

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Get the most value from your membership.

Download the app. Complete the registration. Stay connected.

Find more information at iasp.org/mobile

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

UPCOMING EVENTS IASP hosts events throughout the year to support the growth and development of Indiana school administrators and students. Each event is intentionally designed to encourage and engage you in the pursuit of learning!

FIND A FULL LIST OF EVENTS AT IASP.ORG/EVENTS

Special thanks to our Platinum Corporate Sponsor

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Indiana Superintendents’ Sensemaking Of E-Learning Days Chad C. Cripe Superintendent Oak Hill School District Fenwick W. English Professor and Chair, Educational Leadership Ball State University It is the school corporation’s superintendent who ultimately has to decide if because of inclement weather to close school and substitute an E-learning day or make up days at the end of the year. This seemingly straight forward need for a decision is anything but simple. It is complicated because as nearly all Hoosiers know, “If you don’t like the weather here, wait five minutes and it will change.”

In order to arrive at some calculus of how superintendents actually make the decision regarding E learning days, the researcher (Cripe, 2020) undertook to survey Indiana school superintendents about their decision making to call for an E learning day. E learning refers to the practice of learning digitally at home in place of attending school for the day because of unscheduled school cancellation.

The framework for the research was Karl Weick’s (1995) sensemaking theory. This theory posits that sensemaking occurs when people take actions within their environment and they reflect on those actions. Sense is constructed in the form of cognitive mental maps which indicate what is crucial for carrying out certain tasks and how they become connected.

The data showed that 70.8% of the survey participants indicated that their school districts selected e-learning when school was cancelled due to inclement weather. The mean number of days school districts implemented e-learning days was 3.47 days per year. The most important factor that superintendents considered before they determined to call an e-learning day was the ability of the teaching staff to provide for quality instruction with e-learning.

Interestingly, only one variable in the identity categories (age, gender, highest degree earned, years of experience as a superintendent, years of experience as a building leader and/ or classroom teacher before becoming a superintendent) was statistically significant. That variable was gender. All 23 of the female superintendents implemented e-learning (100%) compared to only 74.2% of the male superintendent respondents.

The composite picture painted by the data was that an Indiana public school superintendent would be more likely to call an e-learning day if they were female, represented a district from a suburban or rural area, located in North or Central Indiana, with an average enrollment of 3,000 students, and every student was provided a technological device by the school district.

References Cripe, C.C. (2020). Indiana Public School Superintendent Sensemaking of E-Learning. Doctoral dissertation. Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana Weick, K. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The study involved three questions: ■ What is Indiana public school superintendents’ sensemaking regarding implementing an e-learning day when faced with an unscheduled school cancellation due to inclement weather?

■ How does Indiana school superintendents’ sensemaking vary according to school district context?

■ How does Indiana school superintendents’ sensemaking vary according to their own identity?

Surveys were sent to all 291 public school district superintendents in Indiana. 40% of the superintendents surveyed responded. 81.5% of the respondents were men and 18.5% were women. The range of ages of the superintendents was 36 to 79 years old. The combined years of experience of the respondents as superintendent was 1,093 years. The school districts represented in the response ranged in enrollment from 500 to 22,377. Those districts classified as rural were 61.1%; suburban 17.6%; urban 15.3%; and towns 5.3%.

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

IPLI News Kelly Andrews Director Indiana Principal Leadership Institute IPLI is a premier professional development opportunity for the practicing principals of Indiana. We are here to support you, encourage you, and provide growth in your leadership as we learn together, lead together, and connect.

IPLI is so excited to begin taking applications for Cohort 9 participants and mentors, scheduled to begin July 6, 2021, on Sunday, November 22, 2020. Information about Cohort 9 will be available on IPLI’s website - http://indianapli.org/, starting November 1, 2020. If you or you know a principal who wants to grow their leadership, please consider connecting with IPLI. Stay up to date with IPLI through Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Upcoming IPLI Seminars: ■ November Seminars: - Cohort 7, 8, & IPLI Extended Seminar, Sunday, November 22, 2020, JW Marriott in conjunction with IASP Fall Conference, with Rick Wormeli - Principles First, and Tina Boogren - 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators - Virtual - Cohort 7, 8, & IPLI Extended Cohort 2 Regional Focus Cohort Meetings, Monday, November 23, 2020, JW Marriott in conjunction with IASP Fall Conference - Hybrid

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■ January Seminars (at this time, we are planning an inperson seminar. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the event.)

- January 25, 2021 – IPLI Extended Cohort 2 will hear Dr. Phil Warrick on “Digging Deeper to HRS Level 2.”

- January 26, 2021 – IPLI Cohort 7, Year 2 will hear Dr. Phil Warrick on “HRS Level 3 – Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum.”

- January 27, 2021 – IPLI Cohort 8, Year 1 will hear Dr. Michael McDowell on “Visible Learning for Leaders.” Our afternoon speaker will be Dr. Steve Gruenert on “Selecting 2 Teacher Leaders for IPLI Year 2.”

While we know that this has been a more challenging year than ever before, please remember that IPLI, INALI, and IASP are here to connect with you and inspire and encourage you. Sharing, collaborating, and leaning on each other is how collectively we can make a difference in students’ lives and educational achievement.

“It is important that educators find ways to be around other educators who are equally passionate about their job. We all need to be encouraged, inspired, and validated in what we do.”

Todd Whitaker

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Ball State Online

Charla Chailland

Ball State MAE Graduate ENL Specialist, Center for Inquiry Schools

Master of Arts in Education (MAE) in Educational Administration and Supervision

How her internship boosted cultural curiosity.

Through Ball State’s MAE program, offered fully online, students have the opportunity to make administrative-level decisions during a two-semester principal internship.

After deciding to promote cultural competency, teacher Charla Chailland collaborated with educators from around the world to provide cultural presentations in her school community.

“Each month I aligned a country with one of their major holidays so we could talk about celebrating differences while celebrating our common humanity,” says Charla. “I really felt morale and curiosity were boosted.”

• Fulfill your internship while continuing to teach • Pursue your internship within your school and district • Do one semester each in elementary and secondary buildings

Contact Casey Schultz, Academic Advisor, today: cmschultz@bsu.edu

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SERVICE

Riley Kids Caring & Sharing Update Susan Miles Officer, Kids Caring & Sharing TM Riley Children’s Foundation

Riley Corporations

2019-2020 KCS Heroes for Riley Three hundred eighty six school principals received their school’s 2019-2020 Kids Caring & Sharing participation decal through the mail in late October. Seventy five percent of the participating schools achieved Red Wagon status raising more than $1 per student, all to benefit the kids and families receiving care at Riley Hospital. Those are amazing numbers on a good day - during a global pandemic, they are AMAZING! More than 70 percent of Kids Caring & Sharing gifts each year arrive between March and June. We all know what happened last year during that time, yet Indiana students and school staff did not waiver in their generous philanthropic citizenship, raising nearly $490,000.

If your school needs a new KCS multi-year plaque on which to display your participation decals, or you need decals to note earlier participation, please contact Susan Miles at smiles@ rileykids.org School Corporation Heroes In their own multi-tiered system of support, entire school corporations exhibited Riley support in 2019-2020 with five corporations achieving Red Wagon Corporation status – every member school achieving Red Wagon status. In an additional 65 school corporations, all member schools participated at some level or member schools actively participating cumulatively raised an amount equal to or greater than their entire school corporation population!

Thank you to these outstanding fundraising partners, whose certificates will be sent to superintendents through the mail in November: Red Wagon Corporations Attica Cons School Corporation East Allen Co Schools Greenfield-Central Com Schools Lake Central School Corporation M S D Bluffton-Harrison Rossville Cons School District Southern Hancock Co Com School Corporation

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Beech Grove City Schools Bloomfield School District Brownsburg Com School Corp.

Brownstown Cntrl Com School Corp.

Carmel Clay Schools Center Grove Com School Corp.

Clark-Pleasant Com School Corp.

Clay Com Schools Clinton Central School Corp.

Concord Com Schools Danville Com School Corp.

Delaware Com School Corp.

Eastern Greene Schools Fort Wayne Com Schools Franklin Com School Corp.

Franklin Twnshp Com School Corp.

Frontier School Corp.

Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com School Corp.

Greater Jasper Cons Schools Green Castle Com School Corp.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools Huntington Co Com School Corp.

Middlebury Com Schools Mill Creek Com School Corp.

Monroe Co Com School Corp.

MSD Lawrence Twnshp MSD Martinsville Schools MSD Mount Vernon MSD North Posey Co Schools MSD Southwest Allen Co Schools New Albany-Floyd Co Cons School Corp.

New Castle Com School Corp.

Nineveh-Hensley Jackson United North Daviess Com Schools North Lawrence Com Schools North Putnam Com Schools North West Hendricks Schools Northern Wells Com Schools Penn-Harrison-Madison School Corp.

Perry Twnshp Schools Pike Co School Corp.

Pioneer Regional School Corp.

Plymouth Com School Corp.

School City of Whiting Seymour Com Schools Smith-Green Com Schools South Montgomery Com School Corp.

South Vermillion Com School Corp.

Southeast Dubois Co School Corp.

Southwest Dubois Co School Corp.

Southwest Parke Com School Corp.

Southwest School Corp.

Spencer-Owen Com Schools Tippecanoe School Corp.

Tippecanoe Valley School Corp.

Tri-County School Corp.

Twin Lakes School Corp.

Union Twnshp School Corp.

Vigo Co School Corp.

Warrick Co School Corp.

Washington Com Schools West Lafayette Com School Corp.

Westfield-Washington Schools White River Valley School District Whitley Co Cons Schools

Indiana Association of Student Council member schools who raised the highest per student amount will be further recognized with Gold Banner awards at their district virtual conference in November. Please join me in congratulating: Attica Elementary School $6.60 raised per student Rossville Middle School $4.59 raised per student Castle High School $32.41 raised per student Our deepest gratitude for all that your school families continue to do to support the thousands of children and families, from all 92 Indiana counties and beyond, who depend on Riley Hospital.

Let’s work together to find creative ways to keep supporting Riley!

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SERVICE

Spotlight on Service Learning Beth Smith Consultant, INSPIRE3

Service-Learning: An Intervention to Reinvent Our Students

“Reinventing myself is a result of not appreciating myself. As such, that kind of reinvention needs an intervention.”

Craig D. Lounsbrough Service-learning is a K-12 intervention strategy that helps students redefine who they are through their positive interaction and civic involvement. Students who are at risk for negative behaviors often suffer from a sense of isolation and a lack of a connection to their family, school, and community. As an intervention that supports inclusion and connections to family, school, and community, service-learning is a valuable and practical methodology for promoting social-emotional learning while making critical connections to content and real-world content application. As an intervention, service-learning will take skills that are less effective when taught in isolation and introduce or reinforce those skills in a way that they can generalize and have long-term effectiveness while promoting resilience and positive self-esteem. Educators can find service-learning projects and philanthropy lessons that connect to Indiana Academic Standards on the Learning to Give website.

Educators who have implemented service-learning have seen the ways in which participation can change lives. Some outcomes include success in school for the first time in a long time, career direction, a sense of purpose, and the feeling that “I can make a difference”. As much as these are desirable outcomes for service-learning as an intervention strategy, the outcomes are not automatic. The way in which service-learning is implemented makes the difference – quality matters. Following the protocols below will enhance the service-learning experience and improve the desired results for students.

■ Connection to Content: When service and learning are deliberately integrated, students are more engaged in the content, content acquisition is more likely, and students see the value of the content. Search for lessons by topic, content, or Indiana Academic Standards on the Learning to Give website.

■ Reflection that is Ongoing and Meaningful: Reflection implemented throughout the IPARD service-learning process (Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection, Demonstration) is an effective and powerful way to help students recognize their achievement and the difference that each one can make when civically engaged in the community. The power of reflection can be strengthened considerably if the reflection process is varied and cognitively challenging. Check out these investigation and reflection activities on Learning to Give: Blue Sky Envisioning Activity and Map Your Heartbreak. Educators can take this free mini course on LTG to learn more about effective reflection practices and the value of reflection in service-learning: Reflection in Service. There are also Reflection activities on the generationOn website under Classroom/Schools – Resources for Educators – IPARD Resources ■ Youth Voice and Choice: Giving young people a say in every phase of a service-learning project has been shown to have a strong influence on academic and civic engagement. Helping Students Find Their Spark on the LTG website will assist educators with encouraging youth voice and choice in their service-learning projects. LTG Take Action page has activities and lesson plans that help connect learning to community and empower students’ voice and choice to take action to make a difference.

■ Diversity: Diversity itself can come in diverse forms - different cultural backgrounds, different ideas, different generations, varying abilities, and different life circumstances. When appreciation of diversity is taught and discussed, students experience a greater respect for our differences. Students are able to appreciate and respond to diversity through the service-learning process and as they implement the service-learning project. Check out the Social Awareness area on the LTG website and search for LTG K-12 diversity lessons here.

■ Meaningful Service: Students need to see service-learning as valuable, useful, relevant, and interesting. A “day of volunteering” often does not meet this criteria. When students are engaged in service-learning that is meaningful, they become more engaged and acquire more knowledge and skills during the process. Students can find meaningful project ideas on the Projects and Causes page on the generationOn website and on the Issue Area Toolkits on the LTG website. Check out these LTG resources: Service-Learning “101” (K-12), Understanding Service Learning ■ Monitoring the Process and the Progress: Monitoring both what the students are doing for their service-learning project, and also HOW they are navigating the service-learning process will help ensure greater outcomes for students, a likelihood of success 26

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SERVICE

with the service-learning project, and lifelong, critical skills acquisition. The Do Your Own Thing Guide for Kids and the Do Your Own Thing Guide for Teens on the generationOn website gives students and educators a tangible check on the process and the progress of the service-learning project.

■ Duration: By making sure that the duration of the service-learning project is ample enough to include all the IPARD servicelearning steps ( investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration of results), students have enough time to problem-solve, collaborate, and have a deep enough experience to make the learning generalize and produce lifelong results.

Check out IPARD Resources on generationOn.org and LTG Educator Mini-Course Getting Started with Service-Learning ■ Community Partnerships: Through community partnerships both sides benefit through the activities, the shared vision, regular two-way communication, interdependent tasks, and their common goals. Students see themselves as a valuable and important part of the community while the community partner sees youth as an asset. The LTG website has a K-12 lesson to investigate and promote community collaboration - Service-learning and Community Building Activities Service-learning is a powerful intervention that will promote the kinds of positive results educators are seeking. It is worth the time and effort involved as the results are so impactful.

“You were saved not by work, but for work. Do it till all is done. By your Inventions, Innovations, Initiatives, Improvements, Involvements, Imaginations, Information, Interventions and Inspirations... Go the extra mile and dare to do it.”

Israelmore Ayivor Dare to help students find their passions, discover excitement for service and learning, and hone their social-emotional skills through service-learning as a key intervention that will have them invent, innovate, take initiative, improve, become involved, use their imagination, gather and acquire information, and inspire them to be the leaders of tomorrow with a heart for others.

Visit the INSPIRE3 page on the IASP website and on the IMLEA website for additional service-learning resources. ALL Spotlight or Service-Learning articles, written by Beth Smith, are archived on the Spotlight on Service-Learning page. Snapshots of ServiceLearning from Indiana schools can be found here.

Explore the free resources on Learning to Give and generationOn to find service and service-learning lessons and resources , meaningful ways to serve others and give meaning to content, help students discover their passions, and help them develop empathy through incorporation of service-learning into the existing content.

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LEGAL REVIEW

Situation Briefs Dave Emmert Emmert School Consulting The following issues have been presented to this writer in the recent past by school administrators. The summary responses are shared to improve administrator recognition of problem areas and to give a brief legal background to assist in problem resolution. Consultation with the school attorney is very important because each situation is different and the law to be applied is more complex than what is revealed in these responses. This column is intended for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as legal advice. Dave may be contacted on his cell at 317-432-4514 and on the web at; davidjemmert@gmail.com.

Issue: What is the legal status of the issue of public schools regulating the hair length of male students and/or athletes?

Response: There are two precedential cases from the Seventh Circuit Federal Court of Appeals that apply to public schools in Indiana. The first is the 1970 case involving the MSD of Washington Township in Marion County, Crews v.

Clonks, 432 F.2d 1259 (7th Cir. 1970) and the 2014 case regarding Greensburg Schools, Hayden v. Greensburg Community School Corporation, 743 F.3d 569 (7th Cir. 2014). The bottom line is that absent medical reasons or evidence of harm to the health and safety of others, or of significant disruption or interference caused by a male’s long hair, its length is to be determined by the student, not the school.

The Crews court noted that public schools as arms of the state do not possess absolute authority over students, and decided the case in favor of the student based on prior Seventh Circuit precedent (Breen v. Kahl) that determined a student’s right to decide on his hair length bears “a high order of importance” and is a “personal freedom” protected by the federal constitution, specifically the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause.

Specifically, the Crews court stated: 28

In Breen we held that plaintiff ’s right was of a high order of importance.

Thus we stated: ‘The right to wear one’s hair at any length or in any desired manner is an ingredient of personal freedom protected by the United States Constitution.’ …Our holding rested upon the premise that the Constitution contemplates protection for “additional fundamental right(s) * * * which exist alongside those fundamental rights specifically mentioned in the first eight amendments.’ …’ and that these rights are protected liberties under the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment. There is ample support for the position that this was, indeed, the view of the founding fathers. Thus, as the First Circuit has noted…: No right is held more sacred, or is more carefully guarded, by the common law, than the right of every individual to the possession and control of his own person, free from all restraint or interference of others, unless by clear and unquestionable authority of law. As well said by Judge Cooley, ‘The right of one’s person may, be said to be a right of complete immunity: to be let alone.’ Richards v.

Thurston, supra, 424 F.2d at 1285.

More recently the Supreme Court has recognized that the special right of an individual to control his physical person weighs heavily against arbitrary state intrusions. Breithaupt v. Abram, 352 U.S. 432, 439…(1957).

Indeed, unless the fundamental nature of the liberty claimed by plaintiff is recognized, the freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights could be significantly diluted through subtle forms of state repression and tyranny.7

The 2014 7th Circuit Hayden court decided that the boys’ basketball coach illegally burdened males with his short hair rule when there was no evidence that female athletes were burdened at all with regard to grooming rules, and, thus, violated both the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title IX. It noted (writer’s emphasis in bold print): The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects individuals against intentional, arbitrary discrimination by government officials. ...Gender is a Return to Table of Contents

quasi-suspect class that triggers intermediate scrutiny in the equal protection context; the justification for a gender-based classification thus must be exceedingly persuasive.

United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515, 533… (1996).

The material issue under our settled law is not whether the policies are different, but whether the policy imposed on the plaintiff creates an ‘unequal burden’ for the plaintiff ’s gender.”

The stipulated facts reveal only that there is a hair-length policy for the boys basketball team but not for the girls basketball team (or, for that matter, any other girls team). As such, the stipulated facts indicate that a boy wishing to play basketball at Greensburg is subject to a requirement, impinging upon a recognized liberty interest, that a girl is not.”

Our rejection of the two rationales that the district court relied upon in rejecting the Haydens’ equal protection claim would not foreclose the defendants from pursuing alternative arguments for judgment in their favor. In that scenario, the defendants might yet have the opportunity to make an argument they have not made here-namely, that a hair-length policy that applies only to male athletes, but which is just one component of a set of grooming standards that impose comparable, although not identical, responsibilities on male and female athletes, does not constitute sex discrimination. The merits of such an argument are not for us to predict.”

The hair-length policy applies only to male athletes, and there is no facially apparent reason why that should be so. Girls playing interscholastic basketball have the same need as boys do to keep their hair out of their eyes, to subordinate individuality to team unity, and to project a positive image.

Why, then, must only members of the boys team wear their hair short? www.iasp.org

LEGAL REVIEW

Special Education Law Review & Update Costs of Noncompliance In addition to potential damage to students with disabilities, noncompliance with IDEA can result in loss of federal funds and expensive corrective action. IDEA allows families to pursue litigation. If schools do not prevail in the litigation, they are subject to cumbersome judicial orders including the requirement to pay for family legal fees.

Séamus Boyce Attorney Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP (KGR) Portia Bailey-Bernard Attorney Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP (KGR) The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for education leaders. One big one has been ensuring students with disabilities have access to an education guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504). This article provides a review of IDEA and 504 foundations as well as application to the pandemic.

IDEA guarantees that all eligible children with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) that fits their individual educational needs. The primary vehicle for securing a FAPE under IDEA is the student’s individualized education program (IEP).

Educational services must be provided in the least restrictive environment (LRE). LRE means that, to the maximum extent appropriate for the student with a disability, the student is educated alongside children who do not have disabilities.

Students with disabilities also have additional layers of protection against discipline. For example, a student with a disability cannot be expelled from school if underlying behavior at issue is a cause by the disability.

504 protects individuals with disabilities against discrimination on the basis of disability in any program receiving federal financial assistance. Unlike IDEA, 504 is not geared towards providing a special education. Rather, 504 ensure students with disabilities are able to access their education and related programs. Also, IDEA and its regulations are much more specific regarding issues like parental involvement, timelines, documentation and dispute resolution. On the other hand, 504 can be broader than IDEA with application to areas outside of traditional education and protecting students from harassment on the basis of disability.

In Indiana, special education-related requirements can be found in Article 7 of Title 511 of the Indiana Administrative Code, commonly known as Article 7. Article 7 contains rules adopted by the Indiana State Board of Education. Article 7 mostly mirrors the requirements of IDEA and cannot be in conflict with IDEA.

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Under 504, schools can also face liability for being deliberately indifferent to allegations of disability discrimination.

The federal Office for Civil Rights (OCR) may also use administrative proceedings to terminate federal funding for schools that do not follow the law.

For all these reasons, it is best to be proactive and avoid disputes. Sometimes, however, disputes are unavoidable and you must defend the efforts of the school.

COVID-19 Considerations The key point to remember as it relates to special education and COVID-19 is that schools are still required to provide a FAPE to all students with disabilities, despite the presence of the pandemic. Procedural requirements still apply under IDEA, and compliance with health guidance will not relieve a school of its 504 obligation to ensure access to educational programs.

There have been unsuccessful efforts to address concerns through Congress and we should not wait on legislation to solve the dilemma. Thus, IEPs and 504 plans should continue to be developed and updated to ensure access to an appropriate education for each student. This may and will often require students with disabilities be prioritized for in-person learning.

A student with special needs may not make appropriate progress via remote learning. In such a circumstance, compensatory services, which seek to make up for lost learned, may be offered as a remedy if it is determined that a student suffered the loss of special education services due to the remote learning. The scope and type of remedial services required will vary in each case. The measure of the amount of compensatory services awarded often follows a “qualitative approach” that analyzes the educational benefit lost versus number of minutes of educational services that were not provided to a student.

Our courts often look to the nature of the FAPE violation to determine the type and amount of services required to compensate for learning loss.

IASP is a Resource Navigating special education requirements can be challenging.

IASP can provide you with resources and personnel support to point you in the right direction.

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Join IASP for the EPIC Episodes! These informative sessions will be offered in a 2-part series that builds on the valuable information included. These will be recorded and made available on the IASP website for your convenience if you are unable to attend both sessions. This EPIC Episode is tailored around Social Emotional Learning for Administrators and will focus on how we can care for the social emotional needs of ourselves and our staff. We hope that you are able to register and join us as Dr. Brandie Oliver, from Butler University, shares her tools and strategies in this informative session. Click here to register!

Click the images above to register for each event!

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NOVEMBER 2020

Interventions

Connect with us

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Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann home insurance. The benefits and discounts listed: are only general descriptions of coverage; do not constitute a statement of contract; are subject to terms, limits and conditions of the policy contract; and may vary by state. CM-V41253 (4-19) (IASP)