September 2024 -

What is SERC?

The Special Education Resolution Center (SERC) has been collaborating with the Oklahoma State Department of Education for nearly 20 years to help families and school districts resolve conflicts at the earliest stage possible. SERC provides services for children from birth to age 3 in SoonerStart and for students ages 3 through 21 in public schools.

The Oklahoma State University Department of Wellness – Sponsored Programs (DOWSP) is the lead agency for SERC.

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.

View the What Can SERC Do For You PowerPoint

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2024-2025 Wisdom Wednesday Webinars

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.

Join us for this free 1.5-hour webinar series every month from 12 pm to 1:30 pm CST. Register today on our Wisdom Wednesday Webinars webpage.

Chevron Doctrine

In June of 2024, the Supreme Court overturned a past decision known as the Chevron doctrine, which allowed federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer. Most of the time, federal regulations mirror what the statutes (laws) state; however, in some cases, the regulations go beyond the statutes.

This recent ruling may have an impact on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in that the federal regulations have historically been what is followed in special education case law, rather than the statutes. Now, it is unclear how far the federal agencies may go in interpreting the meaning of the statutes. At this time, it is uncertain how this may ultimately impact certain provisions in the IDEA where the regulations go beyond the statutes. Take a look at the SPED Law blog website for additional information.

Oklahoma’s Alternate Diploma Program

In April 2023, House Bill 1041 changed the graduation pathway for a specific group of students in Oklahoma. By amending 70 O.S. § 11-103.6, it created a new route to graduation tailored for the 1% of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. This includes students who are taught to alternate academic achievement standards and participate in the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program (OAAP).

This change aims to ensure that these students have a fair and appropriate pathway to graduation that considers their unique needs and abilities. To participate in the OAAP, students require alternative achievement standards in all content areas; have an IEP with observable, measurable goals that include short-term benchmarks/objectives; and meet indicators from the Criteria Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities on Alternate Assessments.

Check out the Guidance Briefs for Parents and Educators on Alternative Diplomas and the OAAP for more information. Readers may also be interested in the Alternative Diploma Course Pathway for the coursework requirements for these students.

“You Can’t Make Me:” Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Students with Oppositional Defiance Disorder – Wisdom Wednesday Webinar

May 15, 2024

With Dr. Beverly Johns, Learning and Behavior Consultant

These children test the patience of adults around them. Their behavior challenges our competence. This session will discuss who the children are, comorbidity factors, and how our biases and theirs stand in the way of meeting their needs. Why we are seeing more children with ODD will be delineated. We will also discuss the difference between ODD and Conduct Disorder and the key components of an appropriate evaluation. The remainder of the presentation will be on effective strategies to meet their needs.

Visit the Wisdom Wednesday Webinar archive webpage to view the YouTube recording, transcript, and PowerPoint slides.

SERC Rebrand

The Special Education Resolution Center is proud to announce a new beginning with our rebrand!

While our appearance may have changed, we remain committed to helping school districts and parents resolve disputes at the earliest stage possible. It was simply time for a refresh of our colors and logo to be more reflective of our organization and what we hope to accomplish.

The new SERC logo contains three circles above the text “Special Education Resolution Center” in a sans serif font. The leftmost turquoise circle contains a black icon of the justice scale in the center to represent the legal processes managed by the SERC team. The center white circle contains a black icon of the state of Oklahoma. The rightmost turquoise circle contains two black intertwined speech bubbles to represent conversations between SERC, parents, and school districts.

Let us know what you think and keep an eye out for our updated materials!

If you haven’t followed us on Instagram and Facebook, you’re missing out! Do you want to stay up to date on the most recent goings-on at the organization, including interviews with our service providers and a glimpse into the day-to-day lives at SERC? Do you want tips and tricks on bridging communication gaps and education for families and parents on dispute resolution? Surely you would benefit from updates on other special education news and happenings in the community that might affect YOU!

Give us a follow on Facebook and Instagram.

SERC’s Facilitation Training – Registration Open!

SERC offers a one-day training to districts on facilitating meetings. The training provides an overview of facilitation, including facilitator qualities and skills, key functions of a facilitator, the facilitator’s role before, during, and after a meeting, along with a toolbox of practical facilitator strategies and techniques to use during a meeting. This training provides helpful resources to those who want to sharpen their skills and tools when facilitating difficult meetings, and benefit districts wanting to develop in-house facilitators for IEP meetings.

The training is offered in-person with regional classes in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The course is from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. This training is available at no cost to those attending through our partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Registration is made online. Course dates and locations with registration links are below. For more information, contact SERC’s Program Coordinator, Rob Keiter at rob.keiter@okstate.edu or (405) 569-3105.

View a sample Facilitator Training agenda, and register for a training today on our Stakeholder Training webpage.

Which Dispute Resolution Process is Best for You?

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.

Contact SERC

For more information about any of the content in this newsletter, please reach out to SERC Assistant Director, Dr. Allison Fennell-Conch.

Phone: 918-270-1849 or 888-267-0028 (toll-free)
Email: allison.conch@okstate.edu

Special Education Resolution Center
9726 E. 42nd Street, Suite 203
Tulsa, OK 74146
okserc@okstate.edu • okserc.org