Chapter+16+Summary+of+Changes

by Kim Maguire, Ed.D., Delaware County Intermediate Unit
 * //Summary of the Substantive Changes in Final Regulations Chapter 16 //**

//§16.1. Definitions. // The definition of GIEP is changed to Gifted Individualized Education Plan.

//§16.4. Strategic plans. // A requirement is added stipulating that the gifted education portion of each school  district's strategic plan address the process for identifying children who are gifted and in  need of specially designed instruction. It also is to outline the gifted special education  programs offered by the school district and to provide the Department of Education with  reports of students, personnel and program elements.

//§16.6. General supervision. // The final rulemaking adds a requirement that the Department of Education  conduct on-site monitoring of school entities to ensure compliance with this chapter, as  well as an obligation to establish a complaint procedure for parents to file complaints and  school districts to respond. The Department is directed to outline the process and  schedule for monitoring in a Basic Education Circular (BEC), which would become  available on the Department's website with other BECs. The Department also must <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> report to the Board, by October 1 of each year, the number and disposition of complaints <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> filed and the schedule and results of monitoring activities.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">§ 16.7. Special education. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A new requirement is added stipulating the development of a single <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Individualized Education Program for students who are both gifted and have a disability <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> under Chapter 14 (relating to special education services and programs).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The final form rulemaking adds new language outlining the types of awareness <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> activities that school districts are to conduct each year to inform parents about gifted <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> education. Additional new language clarifies the criteria each school district shall use to <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> determine whether a student is mentally gifted. Also, new language is added stipulating <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> that deficits in memory or processing spend cannot be the sole basis for determining that <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> a student is ineligible for gifted education services. Finally, new language was added <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> referring to the federal definition of disabilities at 34 CFR 300.8 (relating to child with a <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> disability).

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">§16.22. Gifted multidisciplinary evaluation. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The final form regulation requires school districts to have readily available an <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> evaluation request form that professional staff and administrators can provide to parents <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> who request an evaluation of their child. The regulation requires the parent be provided <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> the evaluation request form within 10 calendar days of an oral request. Additionally, this <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> regulation adds a requirement that the Gifted Multidisciplinary Team include, in its <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> written report, its recommendations for each student's educational programming. This <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> section also revises the number of days in which the initial student evaluation must be <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> completed from 45 school days to 60 calendar days after the school receives written <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> parental consent for the evaluation or an order of a court or hearing officer. The calendar <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> days from the day after the last day of the spring school term up to and including the day <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> before the first day of the subsequent fall school term shall not be counted. This aligns <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> the timeframe with the requirements of Chapter 14 so that school districts have just one <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> standard to follow.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">§ 16.23. Gifted multidisciplinary reevaluation. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">New language provides that the reevaluation be completed and presented to <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> parents no later than 60 calendar days after the school district receives written permission <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> to reevaluate. The calendar days from the day after the last day of the spring school term <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> up to and including the day before the first day of the subsequent fall school term shall <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> not be counted.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13pt;">§16.31. General. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The final form regulation revises the regulation to "grandfather" students already <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> receiving gifted education services at the time the regulation becomes effective. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The final form regulation requires present education levels to be included in both <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> the initial and all revisions to the GIEP. Additionally, the regulation adds a requirement <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> that a teacher of the gifted be included on the GIEP team. The final form regulation also <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> requires that the GIEP be based on the gifted multi-disciplinary team's written report. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> New language is also added to require the GIEP to include accommodations and <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> modifications as required by federal regulation at 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) (relating to <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> definition of individualized education program) for students with a disability identified as <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> eligible under federal regulation section 34 CFR 300.8 (relating to child with a <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> disability). Additional language is added requiring the GIEP to include the anticipated <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> frequency, and location of gifted education. New language is also added to require the <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> school to notify teachers of their responsibilities to each of their students who are <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> identified as gifted as provided in the students' GIEP. Finally, the final form regulation <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> adds language requiring a GIEP meeting to be convened at the request of a GIEP team <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> member, the parent, the student or the school district.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">§16.41. General. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The final form regulation revises the total number of gifted students on an <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> individual gifted teacher's caseload from 75 to 65 and stipulates that this change occur <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> beginning July 1, 2010. It requires the total number of gifted students on an individual <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> teacher's class roster to remain at the current level of 20 students. These changes reflect <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> feedback provided from schools regarding the current caseload and class roster <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> limitations.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">§ 16.63. Impartial due process hearing. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The final form regulations require a student involved in a due process hearing to <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> remain in his or her current educational placement until the outcome of the hearing, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> unless the school district and the parent of the student agree otherwise. It also adds <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> language allowing a school district to request a hearing to proceed with an initial <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> evaluation or reevaluation when a parent fails to respond the district's proposed <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> evaluation or reevaluation. Additionally, these regulations permit a school district to <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> request an impartial due process hearing when a parent rejects the district's proposed <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> educational placement that is different from the initial placement. The regulation further <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> stipulates that if the parent fails to respond or refuses to consent to the initial provision of <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> gifted services, neither due process nor mediation may be used to obtain agreement or a <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> ruling that the services may be provided.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The final form regulation provide for the compensation of hearing officers for <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> hearings related to a child who is gifted or thought to be gifted. Additional language is <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> added stating that the compensation of hearing officers does not cause them to become <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> employees of the Department.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Additionally, the final form regulation requires the Department to provide an <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> annual report to the Board as to the number and summarized results of the due process <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> hearings. The report shall also include actions taken by the Department as well as future <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> plans to strengthen the due process hearings. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Finally, the regulation requires the school district, upon receipt of a final decision <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> from the hearing officer or court, to provide to the Department an assurance of its <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> implementation of an order within 30 school days of the date of the final decision.