- What is SERC?
- SERC Wisdom Wednesdays Monthly Webinar
- Effective IEP Team Meetings and Communication Guidelines
- Two Questions to Ask When Making a Manifestation Determination
- Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years
- Virtual/In-Person Mediation and IEP Facilitation in Oklahoma
- Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue 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 16 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 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 Wisdom Wednesdays Monthly Webinar
Working together and through conflict to support students with disabilities can be challenging for parents and schools. Learn helpful information, tips, and techniques from the experts that can help you navigate through difficult situations. These webinars are geared toward parents, advocates, school personnel, State Department personnel, private providers, and organizations/professionals who work with families of children with disabilities.
Join us for this free 1.5-hour webinar series the third Wednesday of each month from 12 pm to 1:30 pm CST. Monthly webinars are recorded and available for viewing. Transcripts are also available by visiting our webinar page below.
Effective IEP Team Meetings and Communication Guidelines
During this time when school is not in session, parents and school staff can take a quiet moment to think about IEP meetings and communication skills. Attached are two helpful articles. One is Effective IEP Team Meetings. This documents contains helpful tips on how to conduct an appropriate IEP meeting – highlighting that the goal of a meeting is to reach consensus on the student’s needs. Consensus is the most complicated form of decision making as it call upon participants to really listen to each other and try to resolve the underlying concerns of each parties position. The hallmark is to keep the discussion about the needs of the student and really brainstorm and push to come to some decisions that address the student’s needs (as viewed by the parent, student and by school personnel).
The second is a Communication Guideline for developing a simple rule format on structuring the conversation around the student’s needs. This guide helps the parties focus on the needs of any student who is the subject of a deep discussion. This guide can be used for any IEP meeting or about any discussion that takes place about the student.
View the OSDE Special Education Guidance Brief on Effective IEP Team Meetings here (PDF):
View SERC’s Communication Guidelines for Effective IEP Team Meetings here (PDF):
Two Questions to Ask When Making a Manifestation Determination.
During the last few months of the school year, calls to SERC increase about issues surrounding discipline. Under the IDEA, which is a federal law, the manifestation determination is made answering only two questions. The following steps should be followed during this process:
1. Review All relevant information in the student’s file and information from the parent, AND
2. Determine if :
a. The conduct in question was caused by or had a direct and substantial relationship to the Student’s disability;
OR
b. The conduct in question was a direct result of the LEA’s failure to implement the IEP.
3. If the answer is Yes to either question, the behavior is a manifestation of the Student’s Disability:
a. Conduct or review an FBA
b. Implement (or review and revise ) a BIP; AND
c. Return the Student to the pre disciplinary placement.
4. If the answer is No to either question, the behavior is not a manifestation of the Student’s Disability:
a. Discipline without regard to disability; AND
b. Provide FAPE in the disciplinary setting.
The disciplinary placement is the stay put if Challenged. 34 CFR 300.5333
View the webinar behavior handout here (PDF):
View the webinar presentation slides here (PDF):
Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8
In a snapshot of America, 11 states were sampled to determine the prevalence of autism and many interesting related factors in children aged 8. The CDC of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services published a report last December. If you have wondered how Autism Spectrum Disorder presents itself in cognitive ability, race, or diagnostics – it’s an interesting read!
View the related CDC article here (PDF):
Virtual/In-Person Mediation and IEP facilitation in Oklahoma
While IEP facilitations and mediations will continue to be offered through online-video format with Zoom, in-person meetings will also be available. To participate in a virtual meeting, 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 or in-person meeting.
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue Training Update
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue 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
- School Staff and personnel including general ed teachers
- Service resource providers
- IEP team members
- Parents and their advocates
- Organizations and family support personnel that work with children with disabilities
While we will continue to offer a virtual training format for this course, we are now able to schedule in-person classes starting in July, 2022. Both formats include five 2.5-hour sessions. The in-person format will take place over two days. The virtual format can be scheduled over two to five days. We have a lot of flexibility regarding scheduling and only suggest that the sessions not be spread apart too far in order to maintain momentum and maximize learning.
Crucial Conversations is available at no cost 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 Rob Keiter at rob.keiter@okstate.edu or by phone at (405) 569-3105.
View the Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue Course overview here (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.
View the English version of the dispute resolution chart here:
View the Spanish version of the dispute resolution chart here:
Upcoming Events
SERC Wisdom Wednesdays Monthly Webinars
June 15, 2022
Special Education “Ponders” from a Former School Attorney Andrea Kunkel, J.D., M.S.
Register for the June 15, 2022 Webinar here.
June Professional Development Training – no charge
June 29, 2022
Improving Student Behavior OSU Behavioral Health
ABLE Tech Monthly AT Workshops
ABLE Tech has successfully completed several series of virtual workshops for special education and related service providers. The feedback was outstanding and focused on planning positive systemic improvements and changes.
Monthly workshops are currently scheduled through November, 2022. For more information about the ABLE Tech monthly workshops, visit the ABLE Tech calendar here.
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
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