October 2006 Executive Committee Minutes

 

(These minutes are considered a draft until approved at the next scheduled meeting.)

MEMBERS PRESENT: Tom Adams (President), Pam Wright (President-elect), Vendetta Gutshall (Treasurer), Gary Collings (Secretary), Larry Bass (SW), Jim Murray (C), Cheryl Corning (SE), Patti Kem (NC), Lynn Gosser (E), Pat Pierce (NW), Mary Beth Hamilton (NE).

MEMBERS ABSENT: Cindy Pittman (Past-President)

OTHERS PRESENT: Brady Smekens, Bob Marra

 

I. Approvals

 

A. Minutes ­ Tom Adams called the meeting to order and requested a motion to approve the September 27, 2006 minutes. MOTION: Cheryl Corning moved for approval. After a second by Lynn Gosser, the motion was approved.

B. Treasurer's Report and Claim Docket ­ Vendetta Gutshall distributed handouts for the October Financial Report. The September 2006 Docket was presented in the amount of $10,263.02. MOTION: Patti Kem moved to approve the Docket as presented. After a second by Pat Pierce, the motion was approved. Vendetta's report showed $21,582.74 of the $167,650 budget had been expended to date. The Scholarship Fund includes $2,391.11 in a local ICASE account plus $6,600 in the CASE Indiana account. Preliminary Fall Conference expenses and receipts were presented. Members discussed the costs of interpreters.

C. Membership Committee ­ Vendetta Gutshall introduced Brady Smekens of Smekens Education Solutions, Inc. www.SmekensEducation.com, who demonstrated proposals for the redesigned ICASE website <www.icase.org>. Brady commented on how the ICASE web committee had built on the existing index items of the current website with new images and colors consistent to other ICASE products. MOTION: Lynn Gosser moved to launch the development of the website, with the exception of the Members Only section, as soon as it is ready. After a second by Mary Beth Hamilton, the motion was approved. Vendetta Gutshall suggested that the completed sections can be added by Greystone Design in a couple of weeks.

 

Members discussed the intent and content for a new "Members Only" section to be developed at an estimated cost of $2,000 to $5,000 depending on the extent of the content. Members asked for more details for future consideration. Brady projected a draft of an electronic newsletter. Vendetta Gutshall noted that Greystone Design would continue to manage the website for content additions/deletions.

 

Brady presented a separate proposal for Professional Development, which outlined a partnership between ICASE and Smekens Education Solutions to offer an annual slate of workshops for teachers. For ICASE, the primary benefits of the partnership would be to improve teacher education in Indiana and build an additional stream of income for the organization. For Smekens, the benefit would come in the potential to expand its current teacher training programs.

The proposal in a nutshell is that ICASE and Smekens would co-sponsor workshops. All financial risk in conducting individual workshops would belong to Smekens (no upfront ICASE monies for facility, speakers, etc.). If a workshop is profitable, both ICASE and Smekens would earn a share of the profits. If a workshop would lose money, only Smekens would suffer the loss.

 

ICASE and its members would be responsible for: (1) supporting workshops by sending teachers from their schools and districts, (2) generating workshop topics based on a needs analysis from each Roundtable region, (3) identifying prospective presenters from the field to teach each workshop; (4) using organization resources to promote the workshops to ICASE members via roundtables, website, newsletter, listserve, etc., and (5) offering to host workshops when possible.

 

Smekens would be responsible for: (1) contacting prospective presenters to assess availability, cost, and other details, (2) entering into a contract with presenters for specified workshops, (3) setting dates and locations of each workshop, (4) making arrangements for all "behind the scenes" details such as registration, facility rental, catering, materials, etc., (5) paying all bills associated with each workshop, regardless of profit or loss, (6) submitting a profit/loss statement for each workshop to ICASE, and (7) paying ICASE an agreed upon percentage of profit after each workshop.

Members discussed the opportunity for an additional revenue stream to address the pending Strategic Plan that includes the exploration of an executive director position in the future. Members noted the constraints on district budgets for professional development activities and costs related to travel, substitute teachers, and time out of the district. Members suggested the consideration of live web casts and/or pod casts that could be placed on the website as an option to reduce staff travel to Indianapolis. Members asked that workshop activities offer continuing renewal units (CRUs) under the ICASE sponsorship number for license renewals. Members discussed the need for a coordinated system of certification training for educational interpreters as well as the desirability for training support of related services personnel. Although members reacted favorably to the proposal, they asked to take it under study.

Vendetta reviewed the Patron Membership brochure and draft application form with bronze, silver, gold and platinum categories. She reminded members that the intent of Patron Membership is to use the levels as an incentive beyond a flat vendor fee such as $500. Members reviewed the Vendor feedback from the Fall Conference as submitted by Tammy Ummel. Members discussed the Patron levels and respective benefits, which Vendetta will revise from the members input. MOTION: Pat Pierce moved that Vendors who paid the fee at the 2006 Fall Conference be allowed to apply that fee toward a Patron Membership level of their choosing for the 2006-07 school year. After a second by Lynn Gosser, the motion was approved.

 

D. Roundtable Topical Proposals ­ Patti Kem requested that North Central Roundtable be allowed to spend $200 of its funds. Motion: Jim Murray moved approved of North Central's request to spend $200. After a second by Pat Pierce, the motion was approved.

 

E. Strategic Plan ­ Gary Collings reported that the survey results from six states with executive directors have not yet been compiled. Pam Wright is to compile the various needs assessments, including the assessment from Jan Dunham and Pam Hilligoss. Tom Adams said that he will request the overseers (nags) to report on progress to date of their respective activities.

 

Pam Wright presented Tammy Ummel's proposal to form an Organizational Structure Committee. She is seeking approval for expenses of overnight and meals to be covered by ICASE for a retreat on November 6 ­ 7 at the ICASE office. Members reviewed the committee's membership and requested that Tammy expand its membership by adding either a veteran or new director (less than 5 years experience) from each roundtable to balance the composition and bring in new perspectives. MOTION: Vendetta Gutshall moved to approve Tammy Ummel's request for expenses related to the Organizational Structural Committee's upcoming work session. After a second by Pat Pierce, the motion was approved.

 

F. Midwest Educational Leadership Conference ­ Gary Collings requested a state sponsorship amount of $500 for the June 18-20, 2007 for the 24th annual conference in Breckenridge. MOTION: Pat Pierce moved that ICASE continue its state sponsorship support of this conference. After a second by Lynn Gosser, the motion was approved. Gary noted that next year's keynote presentation will be by Sharon Vaughan, a reading expert from Texas. Registration information is expected to be on the website by February 2007 <http://iseas.org/midwest2007.htm.> Members asked that the notification of CRUs for Indiana participants be placed on the website.

 

II. Reports: 2006-2007

 

A. Conferences/Activities
1. Fall Conference 2006: Tom Adams commented that the evaluations will be available at next month's meeting. He thanked all those who had supported the various activities throughout the conference. He has not yet been successful in transmitting Dr. Parkers' slides on the Directors' list serve so he may see if Cinda can post the slides on the ICASE web site.

 

2. Spring Conference 2007: February 15 ­ 16, 2007 ­ Pam Wright noted that the theme will be Proactive Leadership with a legislative breakfast at the State House. Members expressed an interest in having "talking points" developed and available prior to the breakfast to assist directors in their dialogue with legislators. The conference will be held at the downtown Radisson in Indianapolis.

Dr. Steve Kukic, former state director of Utah and current vice-president of Sopris West <www.sopriswest.com>, will be the keynote speaker on leadership. Pam is looking into entertainment for Thursday night. She reviewed several possible strand topics and presenters.

 

3. Fall Conference 2007: September 26-28, 2007 ­ Pam Wright reported that she is continuing her negotiations to hold the conference at the French Lick Casino.

 

4. CEC/CASE Board Update ­ The upcoming CASE Leadership Institute on Collaborative Leadership at Savannah (November 10 ­ 11, 2006) will be attended by Vendetta Gutshall, Tom Adams, Pam Wright, and Gary Collings.

 

B. Standing Committee Reports

1. Porter Scholarship ­ Completed.

 

2. Recognition/Awards ­ Gary Collings distributed a list of recipients of both Distinguished and Meritorious Awards since 1985.

3. Past Presidents' Council ­ Cindy Pittman will host this dinner session.

 

4. Nominations ­ Pam Wright distributed the compilation from her survey feedback regarding the upcoming nomination process for 2007 officers. She asked members to submit names for her to consider for her three person nominating committee. She will also give her survey results to Tammy Ummel's organizational structure committee.

 

5. Roundtable Activities ­ Jim Murray complimented the organizers of the recent Central Roundtable retreat at Culver Cove with its members as presenters.

 

C. Report: Rule 26 Task Force ­ Bob Marra emphasized that the Rule 26 committee, which includes school psychologists, is only a DEL input group for first level eligibility draft language for future consideration by the State Advisory Council. The council will hold public forum meetings prior to providing a proposed document to the State Board of Education, which is responsible to release its own draft and hold public meetings in the rule promulgation process. Pat Pierce reminded members that she needs directors' feedback on the Specific Learning Disability and Language and Speech Impairment sections by October 27th.

 

D. Report: Division of Exceptional Learners ­ Bob Marra notified members of the upcoming postings by November 1 to districts of students by STN whose ISTAR results are questionable. In reply to a question, Bob said that he would see if these postings could be organized by corporations within districts. He reminded members that a district representative will be required to regularly access the list. The district may need to send DEL an IEP or other documentation upon request. The DEL will send directors an all clear message in a few weeks once the ISTAR review is complete.

Bob said that he now intends to send electronically the NIMAS letter of notification for superintendents to Directors for distribution. The letter will be accompanied by an "opt in or opt out" form for each superintendent to sign.

In regard to private preschools, Bob is seeking clarification on a position that students attending a program detached from a K ­ 6th school system are only eligible for child find provisions and not eligible for services from the geographic district.

 

Bob suggested that preschool caps on the 12.5 hours and 8 to 2 caseload ratio will likely be removed in the Advisory Council draft. He noted that a one tier versus two tier due process system is under study. For private school consultations in general, he thought it would first be necessary to reach agreement on what services, for example, speech only would be provided. Once the services were established, then a student service plan (not IEP) would be developed in relation to the agreed upon services (in contrast to outlining a FAPE first and then offer limited services).

In reply to a question, Bob noted that the ISTAR inter-rater results were sufficient to establish special education cut scores but were insufficient for LEP/ENL. Therefore, ISTAR has been eliminated as an option for LEP students.

Bob reported that the federal OSEP has criticized the DEL for accepting LEA confirmation of progress on indicators without SEA verification. The OSEP, for example, wants the DEL to sample CODA files. The OSEP also wants DEL criteria for levels of sanctions. For example, if a corporation does not meet disproportionality requirements, 15% of its new money might be required to target the deficiency. Those CIFMS indicators that are satisfactory might be reviewed and reported less frequently (every 2 or 3 years); unsatisfactory indicators might require more frequent reporting (monthly or quarterly).

 

E. Report: Public Policy and Legislative Committee ­ Tom Adams said the committee will be working on its assignment related to the Strategic Plan.

 

F. Liaisons ­ Pat Pierce, as liaison to the IAPSS, reported the following items were discussed at the October 17 meeting of its Special Education Advisory Committee: preschool, CSPD and the removal of training language from Rule 26, emergency permits, board of special education appeals, private schools, FSSA requirements for interpreters, and mediation with complaints.

 

As liaison to the University Forum, Cheryl Corning reported that the INSIG project now has two years of full data from the CIFMS indicators. They are now beginning to identify the elements that are working. She thought this might be a source of presenters for an ICASE conference. At the recent Forum meeting, Cheryl discussed that directors are occupied with the continual shortage of personnel, emergency permits and speech pathologists, and highly qualified status.

 

III. NEXT MEETING: November 16, 2006 (8:30 AM) ­ DOE Division of Exceptional Learners