Insights & ideas for K-12 education leaders.
Special Education
It’s the end of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, and stakeholders have agreed upon related services prescribed to your student. Before the meeting can conclude and the IEP document is finalized for signature, one last form needs to be addressed: parental consent to bill Medicaid. Outside of service logging, this conversation has the largest […]
504
Some people who previously tested positive for COVID-19 are now showing symptoms like tiredness, fatigue, difficulty thinking, concentrating, headache, changes in smell, taste, dizziness, or fast beating or pounding heart, usually appearing about a month after that initial positive test. This condition is being referred to as “Long COVID.” Long COVID diagnoses among students […]
504
Unexpected school closures happened so quickly in the early days of the pandemic. Managers of Section 504 programs faced — and still face — a great deal of uncertainty because closures and hybrid learning don’t change the fact that schools are responsible for preventing discrimination and providing the appropriate supports for students with disabilities to […]
504
In today’s culture, schools do more than just educate. They are outreach centers, health care providers, and community leaders who are integral to connecting families to services. Much of this is rooted in the development of schools as health care providers and Medicaid outreach organizations. One of the predominant Medicaid reimbursement programs that schools participate […]
Special Education
Why does progress monitoring matter? School districts need to monitor student progress to assess student outcomes, submit mandated state and federal reports, and in many states, claim Medicaid reimbursements. But progress monitoring can also be used to help identify and support requests for additional staffing needs or pinpoint professional development gaps. Getting the most benefit […]
Special Education
In the world of IDEA, documentation is a requirement. However, documentation practices in school districts have no universal standard. This can lead to major problems both for students and districts ― like due process hearings and issues with continuity of service. So, in the absence of universal standards, your district should create best practices […]
Special Education
Medicaid has been linked to special education for decades and is a valuable resource, through reimbursement, to public schools. However, there is plenty of confusion about the correct way to seek Medicaid reimbursement, how to properly document IEPs as they relate to it, and the viability of Medicaid’s role in special education as a whole. […]
504
Table of Contents Intro A Brief History of Section 504 Shift in the Tides Section 504’s Goal Section 504 vs. Special Education Important Takeaway Core Concepts of Section 504 Video Series Episode 1: Introduction to Core Concepts of Section 504 Episode 2: Understanding the Section 504 Eligibility Criteria Episode 3: Unraveling the Key Concept of […]
Special Education
As the trees begin to blossom, our thoughts turn naturally to spring and even summer. But if you’re a special education administrator or intervention specialist, your pre-summer list is probably a mile long, even as early as March. One of those to-do items is planning Extended School Year (ESY) services for qualifying IEP students, a […]
A data-centric view on the challenges facing school districts
Recruiting & Hiring
According to a 2021 Frontline survey, about two-thirds of over 1,200 school and district administrators reported having a teacher shortage. Some districts experienced the teacher shortage worse than others. About half of the respondents reported difficulty filling jobs across all grade levels and subjects while the other half felt the effects of the shortage in […]
Teacher Absences & Subs
Troubled by substitute shortages and low fill rates? You’re not alone. These are challenges faced by many districts, and for good reason. Substitute management is no walk in the park: a lot of different elements go into maintaining and managing a healthy substitute pool. To overcome the challenges associated with the substitute shortage, districts […]
Recruiting & Hiring
The Frontline Research and Learning Institute recently published a research brief called “The State of the Instructional Teacher Shortage”. Following a basic supply and demand economic model, the analysis investigates the quantity of candidates applying for jobs (supply) as well as the availability of open positions (demand). Trends show changes to both sides of the […]
Student Data
In early April, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that schools should be reopened and “full-fledged in person” come fall 2021, regardless of vaccination status. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona echoed this in early May, saying that he expects a full return for all students in the fall. With most states no longer placing restrictions on school […]
A series showcasing various leaders in the K-12 space
Frontline
Our formative years in school look different from person to person, but one thing is true for all of us: we owe a hard-to-quantify debt to the people who work in education. For most of us, teachers immediately spring to mind — and rightly so! Yet countless others also work to make sure schools can […]
Frontline
If you don’t work in the field of school business in Texas, it’s understandable that you might not know who our guest today is. But within the Lone Star State, inside school business offices, her credentials and experience speak for themselves, and she was kind enough to share some of her thoughts for our “Front […]
Frontline
Lourie Larcade is a Business Services Specialist with the Tehama County Department of Education in northern California. With 10 years of experience in school business and still more experience before that in the private sector, we’re thrilled to highlight Lourie in this edition of “Front & Center”. Tell us about yourself! I have been married […]