2011-2012 FIMC-VI Webinar Series

Introduction to FIMC-VI for New Teachers and New Program Supervisors

1:00 Welcome 1:10 Overview of FIMC-VI

Accessible Instructional MaterialsAPH Professional learning

1:30 Florida State Board Rule and Technical Assistance PaperEligibility requirementsAssessments to meet those requirements

2:00 Essential Assessments for Students with Visual Impairments

2:20 Follow-up and questions2:30 Adjourn

AGENDA – Session One

To provide new teachers of the visually impaired and new program supervisors:◦ Timely information in a cost-effective manner◦ Overview of FIMC-VI, APH, and upcoming events◦ National and State Initiatives related to students with

visual impairments◦ Statewide and local resources

Objectives of Webinar Series

FIMC-VI

FIMC-VI Mission Statement

ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACHIEVEMENT FOR FLORIDA’S STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS.

Provide free, appropriate, high-quality instructional materials in a timely fashion.Advance competencies of teachers, administrators, and families through professional learning, resources, and support.

FIMC-VI Information

Statewide resource center for the K-12 students who are visually impaired and enrolled in public or private educational program

Operates under the Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS) on an annual grant. Leanne Grillot is our DOE Program Specialist Leanne.Grillot@fldoe.org

Hillsborough County School District is the fiscal agent of the Center

1. Procurement or productions and distribution of accessible instructional materials

2. Professional Learninga) Working with the Expertsb) Quality Programs for Students with Visual Impairments

(QPVI)c) QPVI- Building Local Capacity

3. Braille FCAT development4. Volunteer services for braille and audio 5. Professional Loan Library6. NIMAS Florida7. Braille Challenge

FIMC-VI 2011-12 Services

Provide Free, Appropriate, High-Quality Instructional Materials in a Timely Fashion…

Over 30,000 braille, large print and audio books in inventory

Over 6,000 books and materials provided to students annually

Full-scale production facility for braille, large print materials

Shipping and receiving departments to manage distribution and warehousing

Provide Free, Appropriate, High-Quality Instructional Materials in a Timely Fashion ...

BRAILLE, DIGITAL, LARGE PRINT AND AUDIO MATERIALS

◦Textbooks ◦Supplemental classroom

materials◦Assessments: FCAT, End of

Course Exams, Stanford ◦Library books and

recreational reading materials

Provide Free, Appropriate, High-Quality Instructional Materials in a Timely Fashion …

Most Florida textbooks are not available through American Printing House for the Blind (APH)

Braille Textbooks – for initial transcriptions an Ink Print (copy of the book) is often required◦Outside Vendors◦Volunteer Braille Groups

Large Print – Perform a Learning Media Assessment to determine if it is educationally necessary!

Braille books ordered in April 2011 - 96% shipped complete*

Braille books ordered in May 2011 – 87% shipped complete

Braille books ordered in June 2011 – 75% shipped complete

Braille books ordered in July 2011 - 70% shipped complete

Braille books ordered in AUGUST – 49% shipped complete

FIMC-VI Braille “Timely Delivery” Update (as of August 31, 2011)

* New transcriptions are shipped in volumes as they are completed. These numbers represent the complete books that have been shipped and does not include partial shipments

Large print books ordered in April, May, or June – 100% shipped complete

Large print books ordered in July - 95% shipped complete

Large print books ordered in August - 72% shipped complete

FIMC-VI Large Print “Timely Delivery” Update (as of August 31, 2011)

American Printing House for the Blind

In 1879 the Congress of the United States passed the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. This act designates APH as the official supplier of educational materials to all students in the U.S. who meet the definition of blindness and are working at less than college level.

States have “Trustees” that manage the Federal Quota Accounts. Florida’s Trustees are Suzanne Dalton (Supervisor) from FIMC-VI and Superintendent from FSDB.

APH Federal Quota Funds

FIMC-VI receives approximately $300 in federal funds for each student who is “Legally Blind” and has not graduated from high school. We receive no federal funds for students 20/70 to 20/200.

Students must be registered each year with FIMC-VI and APH for FIMC-VI to be eligible for these funds.

These funds are a small percentage of actual equipment and textbooks provided.

Federal Quota Funds Who is eligible?

◦Meet the definition of blindness -20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction or a peripheral field of vision no greater than 20 degrees OR function at the definition of blindness when visual performance is reduced by a brain injury or dysfunction.

◦Be enrolled in a formally organized public or private, nonprofit educational program of less than college level.

◦Have an eye medical exam within the last three years

◦Be enrolled with the registering school or agency on the first Monday in January. (Only one school or agency can register a child.)

APH Tangible MaterialsExplore the APH Catalog at

www.aph.org

Perkins Braille Writer - $650 Light Box – $460 Math Builders Kits – $250 Graphic Aid for Mathematics - $172 On the Way to Literacy – early print/braille books $408 Sensory Learning Kit - $499 Book Port Plus $399 Braille version of the Woodcock Johnson Test of

Achievement - $300 Squid Magazine - $50

Costs of common APH Materials

Provide Free, Appropriate, High-Quality Instructional Materials in a Timely Fashion…..

APH MATERIALS◦Braille writers, abacus, slate and stylus◦Tangible graphics – maps, charts, and

graphs◦Digital players ◦Light boxes, toys, concept development

materials◦Transition, vocational, daily living

materials◦Pre-Braille and emergent literacy

materials

APH FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE!

Order what you need by September 15 ….

(Excessive orders are subject to review by FIMC-VI, You will be asked to fill out forms to justify the

expenditure. )

APH

Student Registration – EVERY student EVERY year◦ Current eye medical is mandatory to register student

www.aph.org to see catalog online or to order print catalogs

Tangible order form is found on our website at: www.fimcvi.org/materials

All orders go through Kathee Cagle – you can email her the form or contact her at kcagle@fimcvi.org

APH

Professional LearningEnhancing competencies of teachers, administrators,

and families of students with visual impairments

Enhance competencies for teachers, administrators, and families through professional development, resources, technology and support ...

WORKING WITH THE EXPERTS Seminars for teachers and parents for techniques and methods for teaching students with visual impairments

Held at least once annually for 32 years◦ Over 100 seminars since 1980◦ Average 200 participants a year◦ Nationally known presenters from US and Canada

Quality Programs for Students with Visual Impairments (QPVI)

District program review of quality indicators◦ Current eye medicals◦ Functional Vision Assessments◦ Learning Media Assessments◦ Expanded Core Curriculum Assessments◦ Number of consult to direct services◦ Scope and intensity of services◦ Role of TVI, O&M, paraprofessionals, etc.

Establishing a consistency of practice to a research-based standard

Two models being implemented in Florida◦ QPVI: Local districts, in depth, 3-year self-study◦ QPVI - Building Local Capacity: Workshop series that

provides foundations of QPVI while helping districts and TVIs meet the requirements of the Florida State Board Rule.

To date: Eight districts involved in full QPVI and 24 districts have participated in QPVI-Building Local Capacity

QPVI

Florida Braille Challenge

Affiliated with the National Braille Challenge sponsored by Braille

Institute of America

Braille Challenge

FIMC-VI contracts with Sue Glaser to manage all aspects of the Florida Braille Challenge

Grown from one event with 19 students in 2008 to three events with over 80 students participating in 2011

2012 will offer four events◦ Tallahassee◦ Ft. Lauderdale◦ Orlando◦ Tampa

Data analysis shows improvement in braille reading fluency and comprehension for students participating for more than two consecutive years

Enhance competencies for teachers and families through professional development, resources, technology and support…..

PROFESSIONAL LIBRARY◦ Approx. 400 items checked-out annually

THE VISUAL FIELD E-NEWSLETTER◦ Training opportunities/current events to over 600

teachers and families quarterly

September 20 – Ushers Screening Training in Ft. Myers

September 26 – Webinar - Power Point for the TVI (part 1 of 2)

October 24 – Power Point for the TVI (part 2) October 31 – November 1: QPVI Facilitator Training in

Tampa November 2 - 3: QPVI - Building Local Capacity in

Lake Placid (Session 1 of 3) November 4: QPVI - Building Local Capacity in

Sanford

FIMC-VI 2011- 12 Workshops and Webinars

November 17: Ushers Screening Training at FIMC-VI

November 28: Excel for the TVI Webinar (part 1) December 1 – 2: Working with the Experts -

Math Strategies (“But I’m not the math teacher. Oh, but you are the ECC – Nemeth code, abacus, math concepts, manipulatives, assistive technology and math access – teacher. ) in Daytona Beach.

December 7 -10: Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference in Louisville, Kentucky

FIMC-VI 2011-12 Workshops and Webinars

January 10: QPVI Building Local Capacity in Miami January 11-12: QPVI Building Local Capacity

(session 2 of 3) Lake Placid January 13: QPVI Building Local Capacity in Sanford January 20: Braille Challenge - Tallahassee January 30: New Teacher Orientation Webinar (part

2) February 2: Braille Challenge - Orlando February 20: Excel for TVIs (part 2) February 24: Braille Challenge - Ft. Lauderdale March 2: Braille Challenge - Tampa

FIMC-VI 2011-12 Workshops and Webinars

April 3 and 4: Working with the Experts – Intensive Reading Strategies (“But I’m not the reading teacher. Oh, but you are the ECC – braille, assistive technology, concepts, and access to reading – teacher.’) in Tampa

April 5 - New Teacher Orientation and Vision Contact Meeting at FIMC-VI - Tampa

April 10-11: QPVI Building Local Capacity (part 3) Lake Placid

May 3-5 FAER and Jo Taylor Leadership Institute in St. Pete

May 11 – New Teacher Orientation Webinar (part 3)

FIMC-VI 2011-12 Workshops and Webinars

Suzanne Dalton – Supervisor Kay Ratzlaff – Coordinator Donna Ross – District Resource Teacher Cynthia Cookson – Secretary and NIMAS Florida Kathee Cagle – Order Processing and APH Census Cathy Babbitt – Clerk Diana Moyer- Large Print Production Vernon Underwood – Braille Production Siew Ng – Braillist Denise Battle – Shipping Curtis Nelson - Receiving

FIMC-VI Full-Time Staff

Florida State Board Rule Key Points

What you need to know

Effective March 1, 2008State Board Rule

Criteria for eligibility: A student is eligible for a special program for the visually impaired if the following medical and educational criteria are met: (a) Medical. There is a documented eye impairment as manifested by at least one of the following:

State Board Rule - Eligibility

1. A visual acuity of 20/70 or less in the better eye after best possible correction;

2. A peripheral field so constricted that it affects the student's ability to function in an educational setting;

3. A progressive loss of vision which may affect the student's ability to function in an academic setting or,

State Board Rule -Eligibility4. For children birth to five (5) years of age

OR STUDENTS WHO ARE OTHERWISE UNABLE TO BE ASSESSED: bilateral lack of central, steady, or maintained fixation of vision with an estimated visual acuity of 20/70 or less after best possible correction; bilateral central scotoma involving the perimacula area (20/80-20/200); bilateral grade III, IV, or V Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP); or documented eye impairment as stated in paragraph (3)(a) of this rule.

Effective March 1, 2008State Board Rule

(b) If a medical criterion listed in SB 6A-6.0314 is met, then a comprehensive assessment of skills known to be impacted by a visual impairment, shall include, but is not limited to: functional vision evaluation, learning media assessment, and if appropriate, orientation and mobility.

State Board Rule –Key Points

Excludes students who have “learning problems that are primarily the result of visual perceptual and/or visual motor difficulties.”

Mandates functional vision evaluations and learning media assessments

Students with visual impairments must have a three-year reevaluation because of the requirement to have a current medical eye exam

“Skills Known to be Impacted by Visual

Impairment”Expanded Core Curriculum

Can you name the areas???

Assistive Technology Compensatory Skills (abacus, manipulatives, Communication skills: braille, Nemeth Code,

writing, etc. Recreation and Leisure Orientation and Mobility Social Skills Self-Determination Visual / Sensory Efficiency Independent Living Skills

Expanded Core Curriculum (the other curriculum)

Skills Known to be Impacted….

Of those “skills known to be impacted by a visual impairment” (ECC) how many of those are being assessed for three-year evaluations?

What assessment instruments are you using? Could a DOE “monitor team” identify the

assessments? Are the assessments standards and research

based and/or published? Are those skills reflected in the IEP Present

Level of Performance?

IDEA Rules

In the case of a student who is blind or visually impaired, provision of instruction in braille and the use of braille unless the IEP team determines, after an evaluation of the student’s reading and writing skills, needs, including future needs, and appropriate reading and writing media, that instruction in braille or the use of braille is not appropriate for the student.

For a student staffed into a program for the visually impaired …

Braille is the default learning media. We have to demonstrate and document that braille is not needed. This includes a reasonable expectation braille will not be needed in the future.

Technical Assistance Paper

B-2 District’s responsibility to obtain medical documentation,

B-9 Eye medical for child who is totally blind B-10 No consent to test C-3 Patching C-5 Visual Perceptual or visual motor problems

(vision therapy)

Posted on FIMC-VI Website: http://www.fimcvi.org/eligibility/

• Functional Vision• Learning Media• ECC

Assessment

Why is Assessment Important???

Created by American Foundation for the Blind and Vanderbilt University

Provides criteria for functional vision and learning media assessments

Has built-in resources and video support Integrated into the QPVI workshops and self-study Can be found at www.qpvi.com (new website is in

development) Nancy Toelle (QPVI) and I have developed Rubrics for

administrators and teachers to evaluate current functional vision and learning media assessments

Essential Assessments for Students with Visual Impairments

Florida Low Vision Initiative (Kim Roberts and Alysa Crooke)

Florida Outreach Project for Children and Young Adults with Deaf-Blindness (Emily Taylor-Snell)

Florida Outreach Services for Blind/Visually Impaired and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (Diana Deacon)

FSU Teacher Prep Programs – Undergraduate and Graduate◦ Tallahassee (Dr. Sandra Lewis) ◦ St. Petersburg/Tampa (Sue Glaser)◦ Miami-Dade/ Broward (Jennifer Breitinger)

Other Florida Projects

QUESTIONS?

You will be emailed evaluation questions, please reply (we need this information for our grant.)

Next session is January 30 at 2:00 p.m. Suggestions for other topics or Webinars? Email: kratzlaff@fimcvi.org This PowerPoint will be posted at www.fimcvi.org

Follow-up and Next Session