Category: SERC Scoop Newsletter

• What is SERC?
• New SERC website is live
• Great Distance learning resources for parents and educators
• Virtual mediation and IEP facilitation update
• Crucial Conversations training Update
• Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?
• Upcoming Events

What is SERC? 

The Special Education Resolution Center of OSU (SERC) has been collaborating with the Oklahoma State Department of Education for over 10 years to help families and school districts resolve conflicts at the earliest stage possible. SERC provides services for children from birth to 3 in SoonerStart and for students 3 through 21 in public schools.

What does SERC provide to schools, SoonerStart, and families at no cost?

• Training on communication and collaboration skills to help prevent conflict.
• An IEP Facilitator to manage conflict during contentious IEP meetings.
• A Mediator to guide a structured process in which parents and school personnel can resolve specific issues related to special education.
• A  Due Process Hearing Officer at an administrative hearing to resolve, what could not be resolved at an earlier stage. During the resolution time of the process, SERC can provide a facilitator to help the parties discuss the hearing issues in a safe and structured setting and try to resolve them if possible.

SERC new website is live

SERC has a new website. Over the past several months we’ve been designing a new web site that has now been launched! The new site is more user friendly and contains Spanish translations of important documents, with more to come. Please check out our new site at  https://okserc.org/ .

Great distance learning resources for parents and educators

Beginning this unusual time of distance learning, parents and educators have made huge adjustments for the learning of the students they share. If parents or educators are searching for additional information that could be helpful during this time, www.understood.org is a fabulous resource. It’s a fun place to explore for all kinds of information. Understood website link.

In addition to the the website resource listed above, here are several documents that might be helpful for those who will be participating in online meetings.

• Helpful Hints for using Zoom for Remote Mediations (PDF)
• Zoom Online-Mediation Considerations (PDF)

Virtual mediation and IEP facilitation

IEP facilitations and mediations are taking place now through online-video format with Zoom. This platform works well for facilitating meetings throughout the state of Oklahoma. To participate, you will need a computer/iPad/smartphone with WIFI and a place to meet without interruptions. Participants can also access by phone. An IPad with hot spot can be provided for use at no cost for those without access to a computer and/or WIFI. Contact SERC for more information about scheduling a virtual meeting.

Crucial Conversations Training Update

Crucial Conversations is a nationally recognized training that helps people have difficult conversations that they are afraid to have or that aren’t going well. And the focus of the training is not just about communication – it’s about helping people get the results they want and need.

Crucial Conversations can help you in your conversations with:

• School administrators
• Staff and personnel including general ed teachers
• Services resource providers
• IEP team members
• Parents and their advocates

Because of travel restrictions related to COVID-19, we are not able to offer in-person classes at this time. However, we now have a virtual format available using Adobe Connect that is very effective. It consists of five, 2-hour long sessions that can be scheduled over two days or one session at a time.

Crucial Conversations is available at no costs to those attending through our partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. If you are interested in scheduling a future training for your district, please contact our offices at (888) 267-0028 or contact Rob Keiter at rob.keiter@okstate.edu.

Crucial Conversations Online Course Agenda (PDF)

Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?

You may be wondering which dispute resolution process would be the best for you when dealing with special education-related disputes. This dispute chart will help you understand the differences between the three processes offered in Oklahoma. Each of these processes is offered at no cost to schools or parents. Please contact us with any questions related to our dispute resolution processes. We can help you decide which process will work the best for your situation.

• Dispute resolution chart – English (PDF)
• Dispute resolution chart – Spanish (PDF)

Upcoming Events

Tech Thursdays with ABLE Tech (FREE monthly Zoom Session)

Join ABLE Tech for live Zoom training covering various tips for accessibility. 

• Apps for Early Childhood: October 15
• Practical Caregiving for Alzheimer’s and Dementia: November 19
• ABLE Tech Calendar of Events

Jo Anne Blades, Program Manager
Special Education Resolution Center (SERC)
Oklahoma State University Department of Wellness Sponsored Program
9726 E. 42nd Street, Suite 203 | Tulsa, OK  74146
Phone: 918.270.1849

Email: jo.blades@okstate.edu

• What is SERC?
• Spanish translation for SERC documents
• Great distance learning resource for parents and educators
• Virtual mediation and IEP facilitation
• Crucial Conversations training Update
• Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?
• Upcoming Events

What is SERC? 

The Special Education Resolution Center of OSU (SERC) has been collaborating with the Oklahoma State Department of Education for over 10 years to help families and school district resolve conflicts at the earliest stage possible. SERC provides services for children from birth to 3 in SoonerStart and for students 3 through 21 in public schools.

What does SERC provide to schools, SoonerStart, and families at no cost?

• Training on communication and collaboration skills to help prevent conflict.
• An IEP Facilitator to manage conflict during contentious IEP meetings.
• A Mediator to guide a structured process in which parents and school personnel can resolve specific issues related to special education.
• A  Due Process Hearing Officer at an administrative hearing to resolve, what could not be resolved at an earlier stage. During the resolution time of the process, SERC can provide a facilitator to help the parties discuss the hearing issues in a safe and structured setting and try to resolve them if possible.

Spanish translation for SERC documents

SERC is in the process of updating our website with Spanish translations of documents. Right now the translated documents include:

• -SERC Dispute Resolution Processes Comparison
• -CADRE Dispute Resolution Processes Chart
• -Mediation – FAQ’s
• -SERC Mediation Manual
• -SERC Mediation Guide

In the coming months, we will continue updating the site to include more Spanish translations of our services, programs, and materials. Our goal is to provide greater accessibility to our Spanish speaking stakeholders in Oklahoma. To view the documents, visit our website at https://www.okserc.org

Great distance learning resources for parents and educators

Beginning this unusual time of distance learning, parents and educators have made huge adjustments for the learning of the students they share. If parents or educators are searching for additional information that could be helpful during this time, www.understood.org is a fabulous resource. It’s a fun place to explore for all kinds of information. Click here to enjoy the exploration!

In addition to the the website resource listed above, here are several documents that might be helpful for those who will be participating in online meetings.

View “Helpful Hints for using Zoom for Remote Mediations” here:
View “Zoom Online-Mediation Considerations” here:

Virtual mediation and IEP facilitation

IEP facilitations and mediations are taking place now through online-video format with Zoom. This platform works well for facilitating meetings throughout the state of Oklahoma. To participate, you will need a computer/iPad/smartphone with WIFI and a place to meet without interruptions. Participants can also access by phone. An IPad with hot spot can be provided for use at no cost for those without access to a computer and/or WIFI. Contact SERC for more information about scheduling a virtual meeting.

Crucial Conversations Training Update

Crucial Conversations is a two day training that helps people have difficult conversations that they are afraid to have or that aren’t going well. And the focus of the training is not just about communication – it’s about helping people get the results they want.

Crucial Conversations can help you in your conversations with:

• School administrators
• Staff and personnel including general ed teachers
• Services resource providers
• IEP team members
• Parents and their advocates

Last fall we conducted training in Jenks, Edmond, and Oklahoma City. Currently, in light of COVID-19, we are not doing any in-person trainings. As long as school sites are closed down, we are assuming that in-person professional development will not be taking place. In addition, we are currently prohibited from in-state travel. We are not sure how long both of these things will be in place. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep everyone updated. We are looking forward to providing this training once again as soon as the coast is clear.

Crucial Conversations is available at no costs to those attending through our partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. If you are interested in scheduling a future training for your district, please contact our offices at (888) 267-0028.

View the Crucial Conversations Two-Day Agenda Here:

Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?

You may be wondering which dispute resolution process would be the best for you when dealing with special education-related disputes. This dispute chart will help you understand the differences between the three processes offered in Oklahoma. Each of these processes is offered at no cost to schools or parents. Please contact us with any questions related to our dispute resolution processes. We can help you decide which process will work the best for your situation.

View the English version of the dispute resolution chart here:
View the Spanish version of the dispute resolution chart here:

Upcoming Events

Tech Thursdays with ABLE Tech (FREE monthly Zoom Session)

Join ABLE Tech for live Zoom training covering various tips for accessibility. 

• Simple AT Solutions for Play: July 16
• Low Vision AT Solutions: August 20

Jo Anne Pool Blades, Program Manager
Special Education Resolution Center (SERC)
Oklahoma State University Sponsored Program 9726 E. 42nd Street, Suite 203 | Tulsa, OK  74146
Phone: 918.270.1849

Email: jo.blades@okstate.edu

• What is SERC?
• OCR, OCRS technical assistance on the use of restraint and seclusion
• Joint guidance on FERPA and HIPAA
• Crucial Conversations training Update
• New SERC stakeholder training
• Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?
• Upcoming Events

What is SERC? 

The Special Education Resolution Center of OSU (SERC) has been collaborating with the Oklahoma State Department of Education for over 10 years to help families and school district resolve conflicts at the earliest stage possible. SERC provides services for children from birth to 3 in SoonerStart and for students 3 through 21 in public schools.

What does SERC provide to schools, SoonerStart, and families at no cost?

• Training on communication and collaboration skills to help prevent conflict.
• An IEP Facilitator to manage conflict during contentious IEP meetings.
• A Mediator to guide a structured process in which parents and school personnel can resolve specific issues related to special education.
• A  Due Process Hearing Officer at an administrative hearing to resolve, what could not be resolved at an earlier stage. During the resolution time of the process, SERC can provide a facilitator to help the parties discuss the hearing issues in a safe and structured setting and try to resolve them if possible.

OCR, OCRS technical assistance on the use of restraint and seclusion

The U.S. Department of Education has released a 46 minute technical assistance video about the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. Using information from the Civil Rights Data Collection, the video is an overview of anti-discrimination principle and a school districts obligation to report restraint and seclusion.

The video provides general information but does not address specific compliance issues because OCR makes compliance determinations based on the specific facts of each case.

OSERS worked with OCR to produce the video. OSERS’ role in the initiative is to provide technical assistance to schools and districts to promote positive learning environments and evidence-based practices to respond to challenging behavior.

Students with disabilities are disproportionately restrained and secluded in schools. According to CRDC data from SY 2015-16, students with disabilities represented 71 percent of all students who were restrained and 66 percent of all students who were secluded even though they were just 12 percent of the overall student population.

Included in the video are definitions for physical restraint, mechanical restraint, seclusion, Section 504, Title II of the ADA, as well as legal standards that OCR uses to determine whether the use of restraint or seclusion has violated Section 504.

Additionally, the video emphasizes that, for a student who has already been identified with a disability, a school’s repeated use of restraint or seclusion on that student may be an indicator that the student’s current plan of services is not sufficient to provide FAPE. In those cases, schools must consider different or additional approaches to address the student’s behavioral needs, the video states.

The video explains how schools can proactively address potential noncompliance by:

1) implementing a policy for the appropriate use of restraint and seclusion;
2) training staff on the use of positive behavior interventions; and
3) using a tracking and monitoring system for incidents involving restraint and seclusion.

View the US Department of Education video here:

Joint Guidance on FERPA and HIPAA

On Dec. 19, 2019, the U.S. Education Department and the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updated their Joint Guidance on the Application of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to Student Health Records. The original guidance was first issued in November 2008.

View Joint Guidance on FERPA and HIPAA document here:

Crucial Conversations Training Update

This has been a great year for Crucial Conversations training. Crucial Conversations is a two day training that helps people have difficult conversations that they are afraid to have or that aren’t going well. And the focus of the training is not just about communication – it’s about helping people get the results they want.

Crucial Conversations can help you in your conversations with:

• School administrators
• Staff and personnel including general ed teachers
• Services resource providers
• IEP team members
• Parents and their advocates

Last fall we conducted trainings in Jenks, Edmond, and Oklahoma City. This Spring we are doing training for district administrators in Ada, Byng, and Poteau school districts. We are also scheduling courses for parents and their advocates as well as organizations that work with parents of children with disabilities.

Crucial Conversations is available at no costs to those attending through our partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. If you are interested in scheduling a training for your district or group, please contact our offices at (888) 267-0028.

View the Crucial Conversations Two-Day Training Agenda here:

New SERC stakeholder training

SERC will be offering two new trainings focusing on Facilitated IEP Meetings. One training will be for districts and another training will be for parents and their advocates. These trainings will help IEP team members and district administrators prepare for a facilitated IEP meeting. Some of the topics will include:

• The Role of the External Facilitator
• Benefits of a Facilitated IEP meeting
• Preparing for a Facilitated IEP meeting
• Frequently Asked Questions about Facilitated IEP meetings
  

Training is at no cost to districts and parents/advocates.
Stay tuned for more information…

Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?

You may be wondering which dispute resolution process would be the best for you when dealing with special education-related disputes. This dispute chart will help you understand the differences between the three processes offered in Oklahoma. Each of these processes is offered at no cost to schools or parents. Please contact us with any questions related to our dispute resolution processes. We can help you decide which process will work the best for your situation.

View the English version of the dispute resolution chart here:
View the Spanish version of the dispute resolution chart here:

Upcoming Events

Tech Thursdays with ABLE Tech (FREE monthly Zoom Session)

Join ABLE Tech for live Zoom training covering various tips for accessibility. 

• Simple AT Solutions for Play: July 16
• Low Vision AT Solutions: August 20

Jo Anne Pool Blades, Program Manager
Special Education Resolution Center (SERC)
Oklahoma State University Sponsored Program 9726 E. 42nd Street, Suite 203 | Tulsa, OK  74146
Phone: 918.270.1849

Email: jo.blades@okstate.edu

• What is SERC?
• The Super Six Principles of the IDEA
• The Power of Listening – William Ury TEDx Talk
• First Annual ADR Conference
• Crucial Conversations Training Update
• Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?
• Upcoming Events

What is SERC? 

The Special Education Resolution Center of OSU (SERC) has been collaborating with the Oklahoma State Department of Education for over 10 years to help families and school districts resolve conflicts at the earliest stage possible. SERC provides services for children from birth to 3 in SoonerStart and for students 3 through 21 in public schools.

What does SERC provide to schools, SoonerStart, and families at no cost?

• Training on communication and collaboration skills to help prevent conflict.
• An IEP Facilitator to manage conflict during contentious IEP meetings.
• A Mediator to guide a structured process in which parents and school personnel can resolve specific issues related to special education.
• A  Due Process Hearing Officer at an administrative hearing to resolve, what could not be resolved at an earlier stage. During the resolution time of the process, SERC can provide a facilitator to help the parties discuss the hearing issues in a safe and structured setting and try to resolve them if possible.

The Super Six Principles of the IDEA

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act can sometimes seem LARGE! Most of the law really boils down to six main principles. When you understand the basics of the six main principles – you’ve got a pretty good overall understanding of special education!

Here is a relatively easy summary of the law developed in partnership by the Oklahoma Parents Center and the Oklahoma Department of Special Education. Its a handy guide to keep close and give to others!

View the Super Six guide here:

The Power of Listening – William Ury TEDx Talk

This 16 minute YouTube video is a powerful TEDx talk by William Ury, one of the author’s of the national best seller, “Getting to Yes.” This video shows what really listening to others looks like, why it’s so hard to do, and the powerful benefits of listening! You will want to watch this and share it with your friends.

View video “The Power of Listening” TEDx Talk here:

First Annual ADR Conference

We just wrapped up our first Annual Dispute Resolution Conference. This conference – designed for parents, school district personnel, agencies working with children with special needs, and parents and their advocates was sponsored by the Special Education Resolution Center and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The conference took place on Monday, November 18 at the Moore Norman Technology Center in Oklahoma City.

Our first conference included general sessions featuring Greg Abell of Sound Options Group in Bainbridge Island, Washington; and Carlo Rossi/Social Advocate for Youth and the Sonoma County Special Education Local Plan Area in California. The focus was on re-framing special education disputes as “enduring conflict” and considered the best ways to engage special ed disputes.

The afternoon included workshops for school districts and parents to help everyone understand the differences in the dispute resolution processes available in Oklahoma. We are excited about the feedback we have received for our first conference and are looking forward to next year’s conference. Stay tuned for more information on our Facebook page and in upcoming SERC Scoop Newsletters.

View the 2019 ADR Conference flyer here:

Crucial Conversations Training Update

This has been a great year for Crucial Conversations training. Crucial Conversations is a two day training that helps people have difficult conversations that they are afraid to have or that aren’t going well. And the focus of the training is not just about communication – it’s about helping people get the results they want.

Crucial Conversations can help you in your conversations with:

• School administrators
• Staff and personnel including general ed teachers
• Services resource providers
• IEP team members
• Parents and their advocates

This fall we have conducted training in Jenks, Edmond, and Oklahoma City. We are planning on scheduling two classes in the spring of 2020: one for school administrators, and one for parents and their advocates. We also have training scheduled for the summer of 2020 in Poteau, Oklahoma. This training will be geared toward district personnel.

Crucial Conversations is available at no costs to those attending through our partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. If you are interested in scheduling a training for your district or group, please contact our offices at (888) 267-0028.

View the Crucial Conversations Two-Day Training Agenda here:

Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?

You may be wondering which dispute resolution process would be the best for you when dealing with special education-related disputes. This dispute chart will help you understand the differences between the three processes offered in Oklahoma. Each of these processes is offered at no cost to schools or parents. Please contact us with any questions related to our dispute resolution processes. We can help you decide which process will work the best for your situation.

View the English version of the dispute resolution chart here:
View the Spanish version of the dispute resolution chart here:

Upcoming Events

Tech Thursdays with ABLE Tech (FREE monthly Zoom Session)

Join ABLE Tech for live Zoom training covering various tips for accessibility. 

• AT Assessment Workshop – Part 1: January 23
• AT Assessment Workshop – Part 2: February 20

Jo Anne Pool Blades, Program Manager
Special Education Resolution Center (SERC)
Oklahoma State University Sponsored Program 9726 E. 42nd Street, Suite 203 | Tulsa, OK  74146
Phone: 918.270.1849

Email: jo.blades@okstate.edu

• What is SERC?
• Upcoming CADRE Webinar
• The Difference Between IEP’s and 504 Plans
• School Suspensions are an Adult Behavior – Dr. rose Marie Allen
• IEP CHALLENGE: Is this team properly gauging student’s progress in communication?
• Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?
• Upcoming Events

What is SERC? 

The Special Education Resolution Center of OSU (SERC) has been collaborating with the Oklahoma State Department of Education for over 10 years to help families and school districts resolve conflicts at the earliest stage possible. SERC provides services for children from birth to 3 in SoonerStart and for students 3 through 21 in public schools.

What does SERC provide to schools, SoonerStart, and families at no cost?

• Training on communication and collaboration skills to help prevent conflict.
• An IEP Facilitator to manage conflict during contentious IEP meetings.
• A Mediator to guide a structured process in which parents and school personnel can resolve specific issues related to special education.
• A  Due Process Hearing Officer at an administrative hearing to resolve, what could not be resolved at an earlier stage. During the resolution time of the process, SERC can provide a facilitator to help the parties discuss the hearing issues in a safe and structured setting and try to resolve them if possible.

Upcoming CADRE Webinar

Managing Truth Decay in the Intersection of Logic and Emotion
Clients and parties spin when the law and their emotions collide. The ability of participant to make good decision declines and they often blame others for the situation. during this webinar, you’ll learn practical tips, techniques, and tools for counseling folks through the uncertainty, fear and frustration they experience when they believe the likely outcome is unfair or the process is too long and expensive.

August 27, 2019. 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM Central Time.

View the CADRE webinar here:

The Difference Between IEP’s and 504 Plans

Both Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans can offer formal help for k-12 student who are struggling in school. They’re similar in some ways but very different in others. This chart compares them side-by-side to help you understand the differences.

View the chart here:

School Suspensions are an Adult Behavior – Dr. Rose Marie Allen

There is an epidemic of school suspensions in the U.S. and the downstream consequences are severe. Adults suspend students, and while that may sound obvious, Rosemarie Allen realized that the problem might be the solution. When dealing with the difficult behaviors of children, what if we turned our focus inward?

Dr. Rosemarie Allen works passionately to ensure that children have access to high-quality early childhood programs that are developmentally and culturally appropriate. She teaches classes at Metro State University focused on raising teachers’ awareness of the impact equity, privilege, and power can have in the classroom. Dr. Allen serves as an intern on the Early Childhood Task Force with President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative and is a respected keynote speaker on culturally responsive practices and cultural competence.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
(Kim – I put the best link I could make on the notes below.)

View the TEDx Talk here:

IEP CHALLENGE: Is this team properly gauging student’s progress in communication?

Bradley is a bright 4-year-old boy with speech-language impairment who loves talking about his favorite TV shows.

Bradley can speak in four-word sentences and is mostly intelligible. But he sometimes mixes up pronouns, ascribing “he” to “she” and “him” to “her.” He also sometimes says “me” when he means to say “I.” He can usually clarify what he means when asked but doesn’t always independently correct himself after an erroneous utterance.

The team discusses Bradley’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance and devises measurable goals, including this one related to promoting his communication skills: By the end of the year, when describing something he has watched or experienced, Bradley will correctly use pronouns, including “he,” “she,” “him,” “her,” “me,” and “I,” with 80 percent accuracy 3 out of 5 times.

The team agrees to use this method to monitor Bradley’s progress:

PLAN: Bradley’s teacher and speech-language pathologist will track Bradley’s progress as measured by observation and recorded on charts.

Is this plan for progress monitoring sufficient?

IEPs should detail when periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward meeting his annual goals will be offered. 34 CFR 300.320 (a)(3).

The hypothetical plan mentioned above for Bradley lacks information about how often the child’s teacher and speech-language pathologist will share Bradley’s progress in communication with his parents.

A more appropriate description might be:

Bradley’s teacher and speech-language pathologist will track Bradley’s progress as measured by observation and recorded on charts, sharing his progress with his parents quarterly.

This plan is better suited to keep Bradley’s parents up to date on their child’s growth.

“IEP Challenge” is a Special Ed Connection® feature that details a hypothetical scenario involving a student with a disability. With each installment, you’ll get to decide the adequacy of either an IEP goal, present level statement, or a method of progress monitoring given the fictional student’s strengths and weaknesses. Then use these scenarios to kickstart your next staff training session.

Which Dispute Resolution Process is best for me?

You may be wondering which dispute resolution process would be the best for you when dealing with special education-related disputes. This dispute chart will help you understand the differences between the three processes offered in Oklahoma. Each of these processes is offered at no cost to schools or parents. Please contact us with any questions related to our dispute resolution processes. We can help you decide which process will work the best for your situation.

View the English version of the dispute resolution chart here:
View the Spanish version of the dispute resolution chart here:

Upcoming Events

• Art Cernosia will be coming to Oklahoma City on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. Art will be presenting a legal update on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Registration forms will be available in September. Check with the SERC Website for further information.
• SERC will host its first Dispute Resolution Conference on Monday, Nov. 18, 2019. Mark your calendar and save the date! Further information on location and registration will be available on the SERC website by October!

Jo Anne Pool Blades, Program Manager
Special Education Resolution Center (SERC)
Oklahoma State University Sponsored Program 9726 E. 42nd Street, Suite 203 | Tulsa, OK  74146
Phone: 918.270.1849

Email: jo.blades@okstate.edu