Task Force on Blind Student Academic and Vocational Performance 
Blind Task Force (BTF)

Minutes
Regular Meeting of Committee Representatives
May 1, 2018

For information on the BTF, visit http://dese.mo.gov/special-education/advisory-panels.

Members in Attendance: Dr. Stephen Barr, DESE, assistant commissioner, Office of Special Education; Donna Borgmeyer, Rehabilitation Council of the Blind; Bonnie Lenz, teacher of the visually impaired; Louise Whitworth, teacher of the visually impaired, Geoffrey Barney, superintendent, Missouri School of the Blind, DJ Butcher, blind skills specialist, Southwest Missouri
Linda Coccovizzo, parent of blind or visually impaired student attending public school in MO, 
June Lenk, consumer organization: Missouri Council of the Blind; Reeda Rippee, orientation & mobility specialist; Pam Alberti, public school special education administrator
Stacy Hamlett, public school building principal, Adrian Marcos, student; Brent Sharp, public school special education administrator, Angie York, employer

Guests:
Susan Bonner, deafblind project director, Missouri Deafblind Technical Assistance Project, Missouri School for the Blind

Members Not in Attendance: Ian Shadrick, Department of Social Services; Sherri Scott, Institution of Higher Education; Joy Frazier Boyle, parent of blind or visually impaired student attending public school in MO

Minute taker: Regina Miller, Administrative Assistant

Call to Order at 10:00 a.m. – B. Lenz

Roll Call – L. Whitworth

Introductions – B. Lenz

Approval of August 7, 2018 DRAFT Agenda – B. Lenz
Motion to approve and accept – Motion made by R. Rippee; seconded by L. Whitworth

Approval of May 1, 2018 Minutes – B. Lenz
Motion to approve and accept – Motion made by R. Rippee; seconded by L. Whitworth

Comparative Data Review – S. Barr, PowerPoint Presentation and handouts
•	Review comparative data summary related to the availability of visually impaired around the state of Missouri. 
•	Identify areas that need attention and reflect back to agency on needs and changes. 
•	Improvement and trends related to
o	educational environments for visually impaired students and all IEP students
o	attendance rates (2015-17)
o	discipline 
o	state assessment results
o	dropout rates (2015-17)
o	graduation rates (4 year – VI/IEP/ALL 2014-17)
•	Encourage use of tools specifically designed for use in a variety of disability groups. 

DESE Update – S. Barr
•	Budget: State – No special education items lack consensus. Expect budget to be consistent with our requests. Federal – New allocations for coming year sent by OSEP. 
•	State Board of Education/Commissioner – No change since February
•	Part B State Application – Posted for a 60-day period with inclusive 30-day comment period. We now have allocation. We will provide a revised budget and application to the Commissioner for signature which must be submitted by May 18, 2018.
•	State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report – Submitted Part B and Part C SPP/APRs to Office of Special Education Programs in early February. On April 18, 2018 a clarification call took place with our OSEP consultant and her supervisor to discuss additional information needed to complete OSEP’s review. Changes were made to the documents and changes were filed on April 25, 2018. We anticipate final results in July.
•	Alternate Assessment Participation – Discussed new statutes under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Missouri’s alternate assessment (Map A) is currently embedded in the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM). Applied for and received a waiver for testing this year.
•	Significant Disproportionality – The Office of Special Education is continuing to develop the process required under new federal regulations established by the U.S. Department of Education and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) related to significant disproportionality in eligibility, placement and discipline. Currently, 45 districts meet one or more of the criteria. OSE is developing a process in the IMACs to facilitate the process and to direct districts to effective strategies. 
•	MMD – Nineteen districts have been implementing the collaborative works practices. Fifty more districts will be added for next year. We are working to implement Positive Behavior Supports in up to ten districts. Districtwide implementation is required.
•	Progress Reviews – Working to improve staff efficiency and effectiveness. Currently repurposing the staff evaluation process with a continuous improvement process that supports staff working together to solve issues such as reducing costs of operation, reducing processing time for reports, improving effective monitoring of teaching practices in SOPs, response time, etc. Part of this process involves creating a measureable improvement goal. Each month staff involved in the activity are expected to report on and explain their progress and the steps they are taking to improve. We want the focus to be about conducting and improving their work rather than maintaining. This is a six-month trial period. 

American Council of the Blind Convention, June 29, 2018 – July 6, 2018, Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri – J. Lenk
•	Discussed creation of a 60-90 minute presentation in the following topic areas:
o	School for the blind as a resource for public school-based vision programs
o	How do public school-based TVI programs currently utilize schools for the blind as a resource?
o	What is the future impact this movement might have in reference to preparing VI students for college?
o	Would like to share what this task force is doing and share a “grassroots” example on how to educate the teachers in other states. 
o	Registration information is to be been sent to Regina no later than May 15 to post on the current Blind Task Force website. 

WORKING LUNCH

Subcommittee Updates -
•	Academic and Vocational Services – L. Whitworth
•	Rules – L. Coccovizzo – No report
•	Student Achievement – B. Lenz – No report
•	Children’s Vision Summit – I. Shadrick – Discussion tabled for May meeting.

Blind Task Force Membership/Vacancies/Updates – B. Lenz – No new members, no new applications.

Current Workshops/Events in the State 2017-2018:
May 3	Using Switch Device with iPad, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Alphapointe, Kansas City, Julie Anderson‐ Ituarte, Blind Skills Specialist
May 10	Using Literature to Support Orientation and Mobility Concepts for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, (for Orientation & Mobility Specialists), 9 AM – Noon, Missouri State University, 117 Park Central Square, Rm 112, Springfield, DJ Butcher, Blind Skills Specialist
May 21	Including Children with Sensory or Motor Impairments: Physical Education and Physical Leisure Activities that Work for Children with Vision Loss, Deafblindness or an Orthopedic Impairment, 9 AM – 3 PM, Special School District, SSD Learning Center, 11969 Westline Industrial Drive, Rooms 1 & 2, St. Louis, MO. 63141. Lauren Lieberman. Registration: Rose Ehresman at rmehresman@ssdmo.org
June 29‐July 1	INSITE Session I: Training of MoSPIN Parent Advisors, Hampton Inn & Suites, Chesterfield, Jane Herder, Lead Parent Advisor
July 24‐27	New Directors’ Academy: Special Education Directors, Capital Plaza, Jefferson City. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
July 26‐28	INSITE Session II: Training of MoSPIN Parent Advisors, Hampton Inn & Suites, Chesterfield, Jane Herder, Lead Parent Advisor

Current Workshops/Events in the State 2018‐2019

Nov 6‐8	VIISA, Preschoolers, Session I, Chesterfield, MO, Jane Herder, Lead Parent Advisor, Outreach, Missouri School for the blind
Nov. 7‐9	Hand In Hand Session I: Understanding Deafblindness, Nixa Public School District, Susan Bonner, Outreach Coordinator, Missouri Deafblind Technical Assistance Project
Jan 24‐25       Hand In Hand Session II: Understanding Deafblindness, Nixa Public School District, Susan Bonner, Outreach Coordinator, Missouri Deafblind Technical Assistance Project
Mar 19‐21       VIISA, Preschoolers, Session II, Chesterfield, MO, Jane Herder, Lead Parent Advisor, Outreach, Missouri School for the blind
Apr 4‐5	Hand In Hand Session III: Understanding Deafblindness, Nixa Public School District, Susan Bonner, Outreach Coordinator, Missouri Deafblind Technical Assistance Project
Contact: Susan Bonner, 314‐633‐1553, or susan.bonner@msb.dese.mo.gov regarding Outreach Missouri School for the Blind and Missouri Deafblind Technical Assistance Project or Jane Herder, 314‐633‐1582, or jane.herder@msb.dese.mo.gov regarding MoSPIN
Contact: Jessica Hall, 660‐785‐7428 or jhall@truman.edu
Contact: Julie Anderson‐Ituarte, 417‐836‐5490 or jituarte@missouristate.edu or DJ Butcher, 417‐836‐8872 or butcher2@missouristate.edu regarding these additional opportunities:
Fall focus: Google Chrome Extensions
VI PRO Group Springfield 1st or 2nd Friday of each month at VRC	2:00
VI PRO Group Kansas City 1st Thursday of each month at Alphapointe	1:00
VI PRO Group Jefferson City 2nd Tuesday of each month at Lewis & Clark Middle	4:30

Agenda for next scheduled meeting on Tuesday, August 7, 2018
•	Planning/timeline discussion for next Children’s Vision Summit
•	Plan another visit to CNVP. 
•	O & M shortage 

Motion to adjourn – R Rippee and seconded by L. Coccovizzo

Meeting adjourned at 1:10 p.m.