Why go this route?

• Because collaborating with your ISD can help your special education program operate more efficiently and effectively. Having mutual respect, open communication, and trust are keys to successful collaborative efforts.
• Because working with your ISD is required under the Revised Rules for Special Education (R 340.1831- R 340.1839).
• Because a productive working partnership with your ISD is essential for increasing awareness about special education resulting in improved delivery of services.
• Because collaboration regarding students with disabilities fosters a sharing of knowledge and skills. Sharing goals, plans, and delivery models increases your programs integrity.
• Because your ISD has many things to offer that you may or may not be aware of.
• Because collaboration can decrease a sense of isolation and help to improve the understanding of each others roles, responsibilities, and approaches.

You'll know you arrived when . . .

• You know who to contact at your ISD when you have specific needs.
• You feel comfortable at your ISD, from checking out materials in the library, to expressing your views in a meeting.
• You have participated in the development of the ISD Plan for the Delivery of Special Education Programs and Services.
• Your understanding enables you to make informed decisions about your schools participation in such programs as the Parent Advisory Committee and Medicaid.

Construction Zone
Making a personal commitment to building a personal, collaborative relationship with your local ISD/ESA will strengthen your ability to meet the needs of your students, parents, staff, and stakeholders.

Collaboration provides an exchange of information and sharing of resources that enhance your capacity to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of your special education programs. It additionally provides an atmosphere of collegiality that develops trust, direction, communication, and the fostering of innovation.

Partnering with your ISD allows you the opportunity to share your own unique circumstances and composition. Change begins with individuals rather than institutions. Your personal interaction with your ISD will nurture mutually trusting relationships that can be sustained.

This information is designed to help you plan for collaboration with your ISD. Determine what your goals are in embarking on this collaborative. Create a plan for implementing your collaboration. And finally, determine what steps you need to take to maintain this collaborative effort. Get involved. Utilize the talented, knowledgeable staff your ISD offers. They provide leadership, programs, resources and services that you likely could not afford on your own.

It's about TIME

• Set aside the time in your schedule to regularly attend your ISDs special education meetings.
• Include time for your special education staff to attend workshops and trainings offered at your ISD.

Potential COSTS

• Time. Collaboration takes time. However, lack of collaboration can lead to unsuccessful quick fix ideas. Plan on spending approximately 1 day per month attending SE meetings at your ISD.
• Costs for workshops will vary but are typically minimal, usually covering materials and food.

The Process
A step-by-step guide to effective collaboration resulting in improved delivery of services for your special needs population.  Click on the links for more information.

1. Establish and maintain a collaborative relationship with your ISD. Planning for effective collaboration enhances the exchange of information and the sharing of resources. Use the enclosed guide to begin planning your collaborative efforts with your ISD today. Click here.
   
   
2. Understand and Participate in your ISD Plan for the Delivery of Special Education Programs and Services. Learn the roles and responsibilities of ISDs and their constituent schools in participating in the cooperative development of the ISD Plan. Click here.
   
   
3. Get Involved. Involvement in various organizations will improve your ability to meet the needs of your special needs students. State and national organizations provide technical assistance, information, networking opportunities, professional support and more. Click here.
   
   
4. Invite a Parent to Join the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC was created to provide a mechanism for parents to review and provide input and support for the system of special education programs and services for students with disabilities. Every school district including public school academies should have at least one parent participating on their ISDs PAC. Click here.
   
   
5. Invite your ISD to visit your school -- particularly if you are in a PSA. ISDs understand special education as it relates to traditional public schools. They are learning the basic tenets of special education and how these apply to PSAs. Your ISD will provide needed resources and assistance to PSA operators. Show them the wonderful things you are doing in your special education program. Let them know what your needs are. This is your chance to shine.
   
   
6. Becoming a Medicaid Provider may be easier than you think. Familiarize yourself with the Medicaid process: what it is, who it is for, and how to get involved. Click here.

Getting more mileage from your collaborative efforts
How collaboration benefits your school in regard to the following initiatives:

Revised Administrative Rules for Special Education

• Each ISD is required to develop and submit a Plan for special education. R 340.1831
• The ISD Plan must be an operational plan that sets forth the special education programs and related services to be delivered both at the ISD and school levels. R 340.1832
• Plans are to be developed and reviewed in cooperation with constituent local school districts, public school academies (PSAs), and the parent advisory committee (PAC).  R 340.1833
• Each ISD Plan must be signed by the superintendent of each constituent local school district, the chief executive officer of each PSA, and the chairperson of the PAC. R 340.1835
• Any constituent local school district, PSA, or the PAC may file objections with the ISD. R 340.1836
• ISD boards of education, constituent local school boards, PSAs, and the PAC shall be advised by the superintendent of public instruction as to whether the intermediate school district plan was approved. R 340.1837
• The PAC and its officers shall consist only of parents of students with disabilities with at least 1 parent from each constituent local school district and PSA unless no parent agrees to serve. R 340.1838
• Each ISD shall implement monitoring procedures and evaluation methods to ensure that the standards and criteria established are being achieved by the ISD, their constituent local school districts, and their PSAs. R 340.1839 

Section 504
A school district has a duty to conduct a child-find at least annually, during which the district must make efforts to notify disabled students and their parents of the district obligation to provide a FAPE. This duty extends to all disabled students ages 3-26. Each ISD in Michigan has a local Project Find Coordinator. A list of coordinators may be found at: http://cenmi.org/projectfind/coordinator.asp

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Under the definition of program or activity or program, if local educational agencies, systems of vocational education, or other public or private schools or school systems receive financial assistance from the Department, all of their operations are subject to the nondiscrimination requirements of the regulations. For example, if a public school district receives funds from the Department under the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, the entire school district is covered, not just the districts Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities component.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004
Requires that ISDs serve students with disabilities in the same way that they serve these students in other schools and provide funds to constituent PSAs in the same way as it provides funds to other schools in the district.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
All local school districts and public school academies (PSAs), are subject to adequate yearly progress (AYP) and other accountability requirements of NCLB. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, requires, as a condition of receiving funds under the Title I program, to implement a single, statewide State accountability system applicable to all its public schools, including charter schools [Section 1111(a)(2)(A)]. A component of that system is a definition of adequate yearly progress that measures the extent to which schools succeed in educating all students to proficiency in at least reading (or language arts) and mathematics. In addition, a PSA that receives Title I funds is covered by the school improvement provisions under section 1116 of Title I. Through program consolidation and new flexibility, NCLB allows local communities and school districts greater discretion in using federal funds while demanding accountability for how taxpayer money is spent.

Mi-Plan
This framework for developing the school improvement plan is based on the annual educational reporting requirements found in the State of Michigan Revised School Code- Section 380.1204a and requirements in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (115 STAT.1459; B I and II).

Books

• Improving Results for Children and Families by Linking Collaborative Services with School Reform Efforts
  Margaret C. Wang and William Lowe Boyd
  Information Age Publishing (April 2000)
  By offering a wide variety of school-linked services and supports to children and their families, communities can help overcome non-academic barriers to learning. Services and supports offered at or near schools can also provide new avenues for parent participation in childrens learning and in the life of the school.

Articles

• Innovative Models of Collaboration to Serve Children, Youths, Families, and Communities
  Anderson-Butcher, Dawn; Ashton, Deb
  Children & Schools Journal (2004)
  This article explores the roles of intraorganizational, interagency, interprofessional, family-centered, and community collaborations in addressing the co-occurring needs of children, youths, and their families and examines how schools have benefited from these collaborations. Implications for social work practice in schools and communities are discussed.
  
  
• Pathways to Collaboration
  Olson, Linda M.
  Reclaiming Children and Youth (Winter 2003)
  The author summarizes research on effective collaboration and provides a three-step model for building respectful and productive collaboration.
  
  
• An Essay on Interagency Collaboration: The View from the Principals Office
  Mackler, Jill
  Opinion Paper
  Full text: click here.
  The principal of an elementary school briefly reflects on her experiences with implementing requirements for interagency collaborations.
  This report summarizes key lessons from peer consultation. Results from the discussion groups indicate that professional development is a key vehicle for furthering collaboration. A second commonly heard theme was the importance of using multiple communication strategies to foster collaboration.
  
  
• Interprofessional Collaboration in Schools: Benefits and Barriers in Practice
  Mostert, Mark P.
  Preventing School Failure (Spring 1996)
  Interprofessional collaboration in the schools is discussed in terms of: major influences on collaboration, practical aspects of teamwork, and parameters of collaboration in practice.
  

Programs
Intermediate School Districts provide a variety of programs and services that support special needs students within their boundaries. Check your ISDs website for additional information regarding what is available in your area.

People

• Specialists
  Intermediate School Districts have specialists who support students who are eligible for special education services, their families, and the educational staff who work with the students in the school setting.
  

Other Tools

• Revised Administrative Rules for Special Education
  This document contains the Revised Administrative Rules for Special Education, selected sections from the federal regulations implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 34 CFR Part 300, and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act Regulations, 34 CFR Part 99. (Department of Education Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services)
  
  
• Focus on Results
  Center for Educational Networking
  FOCUS on Results are brief guidance and technical assistance documents from the Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services. Published periodically to keep stakeholders up-to-date on current changes in rules and regulations, dispute resolution, Individualized Education Programs (IEP), alternate assessment, accountability, continuous improvement, early childhood and other valuable and relevant topics. 
  

Websites

• Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services
• Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice
• North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC)
• MI IDEA Leadership Institute (MILI)
• Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education (MAASE)
• National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
• Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE)
• The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): National; State 

Primary Author for this MI-MAP Packet: Teri Pettit, SE Consultant/Liaison, MAPSA