Please note, the February 2021 Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting will be held as a teleconference; Room 1101 (board room) will be closed to the public. See ACSE Meeting Logistics section below for options to view and participate in the meeting.
Advisory Commission on Special Education Members
- David M. Toston, Chair
Havaughnia Hayes-White, Vice Chair
Stacey Adler
Marie Alvarado Gil
Michele Andrus
Elizabeth Estes
Dawn Hamilton
April Lopez
Christina Mills
Sara Notch
Christine Oyakawa
Gloria Ruiz
Kimberly Salomonson
Jeannine Topalian
Steven Winlock
Legislative Members
- Honorable Richard Pan, Senate
- Honorable Jim Frazier, Assembly
State Board of Education Liaison
- Ilene Straus, State Board Vice President
Executive Secretary
- Heather Calomese, Director, Special Education Division
California Department of Education
All times are approximate and are provided for convenience only. Items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting or on a subsequent agenda. The order of business may be changed without notice. Every effort will be made to webcast this meeting in its entirety, but some portions may not be webcast due to logistical constraints.
Reasonable Accommodation for Any Individual with a Disability
Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the ACSE, may request assistance by contacting the California Department of Education (CDE) Special Education Division (SED), 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA 95814; telephone: 916-445-4602; fax: 916-327-3706.
Advisory Commission on Special Education
| Meeting Schedule | Meeting Location |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, February 17, 2021 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Pacific Time ± |
California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101, Sacramento, CA Phone: 916-445-4602 |
ACSE Meeting Logistics
On March 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20 related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Order allows state bodies covered by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Act) to hold public meetings covered by the Act via web and/or audio teleconferencing. As such, the February ACSE meeting will be held as an audio/video teleconference and will have a live webcast; Room 1101 (board room) at the California Department of Education will be closed to the public. Please see the Public Comment Guidelines section below for options to view and participate in the meeting.
Public Comment Guidelines
Public comment may be via email or phone, as specified below.
The public is highly encouraged to submit written comment to the ACSE members in advance for prior consideration. In order to help ensure that commissioners have time to review the comments, please submit comments by noon on Friday, February 12, 2021. However, comments received after that time will be forwarded to Commission members until the day of the meeting. Comments should be submitted to the ACSE mailbox at: ACSE@cde.ca.gov. The following information should be included in the body of the email: (1) commenter’s first and last name, (2) organization affiliation, (3) agenda item number or general public comment.
Phone
Public comment may also be provided by dialing the phone number and participant access code that will be provided on February 17, 2021, and then following the operator’s prompts. Upon dialing in, callers will be added to a caller queue. The operator will notify callers when it is their turn to provide public comment. Public comment will be limited to one minute for each agenda item unless otherwise specified by the ACSE. Members of the public wishing to dial in for public comment should view the live-stream of the meeting. The number and access code will be provided at the start of public comment for each item.
Prior to making public comment, speakers who are watching the meeting via live webcast should make sure the volume on their computer is muted to avoid echoing or feedback sounds during the call.
Agenda Item Materials
Agenda item materials, including presentation materials, are available by sending a request for copies to ACSE@cde.ca.gov.
Advisory Commission on Special Education Operations and Planning Committee
Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 9–9:45 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
Sacramento, California
Members of the ACSE Operations and Planning Committee will meet prior to the start of the ACSE meeting to discuss the operations of the ACSE for fiscal year 2020–21 and a timeline for the yearly ACSE activities.
- Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning award
- Review of committees, committee chairs and liaisons
Advisory Commission on Special Education
Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 10 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California
10–10:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±
- Call to Order–Roll Call
- Salute to the Flag
- Welcome New Members
- Swearing in of New Members
- Communications and Announcements
- Review of Agenda
- Review of How to Provide Public Comment
10:30–11 a.m.
Item 1– California’s State Systemic Improvement Plan Update: An update on California’s State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) will be provided. The SED will present the SSIP report to the State Board of Education (SBE) for approval in March 2021 before submission to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, in April 2021. The ACSE will make a recommendation regarding approval of the SSIP for the March 2021 SBE meeting. Presenter: Shiyloh Duncan-Becerril, Associate Director, SED, CDE. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
11–11:45 a.m.
Item 2–Ways 2 Equity Playbook: Navigation Tool for Equitable Schools
Description: The Ways 2 Equity Playbook was developed as a navigational tool for school sites and districts to support their equity journey. As one of the statewide equity leads for the Statewide System of Support, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (COE) collaborated with the National Equity Project and implemented a laboratory design process. This presentation will provide a high-level overview of the Playbook. Presenters: Kathy Wahl, Director, Inclusion Collaborative, Santa Clara COE; Kelly Wylie, Coordinator, Strategic Initiatives, Santa Clara COE. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
Background information:
Inclusion Collaborative Ways 2 Equity website and Playbook
11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Item 3–Governor’s Proposed Budget: Staff from the Department of Finance will provide an update on the Governor’s 2021–22 proposed state budget, including an overview of the special education funding included in the proposal. Presenters: Liz Mai, Department of Finance; Amber Alexander, Department of Finance. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
Background information:
California Department of Finance California Budget website
12:15–12:45 p.m. Lunch
12:45–1:15 p.m.
Item 4–Commission on Teacher Credentialing Update: Staff from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) will present information on changes and accommodations in the credentialing process to accommodate issues related to the pandemic. Presenters: William Hatrick, Consultant in Teacher Preparation, CTC; Sarah Solari Colombini, Consultant in Teacher Preparation, CTC. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
Background information:
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website
1:15–2:15 p.m.
Item 5–California Special Education Funding Study: WestEd will be seeking input on a set of recommendations for California’s special education finance system. The recommendations were developed based on research from the implementation phase of WestEd's study of the state's special education funding system. For this phase of the work, WestEd will gather additional information on the potential benefits and drawbacks of the proposed recommendations, which will be summarized in the final published report for the study. WestEd Presenters: Jason Willis, Sara Doutre, Kelsey Krausen, and Jared Simpson. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
Background information:
WestEd California Special Education Funding System Study web page
2:15–2:45 p.m.
Item 6–Update on Data for California's Accountability System: Staff from the CDE Analysis, Measurement, and Accountability Reporting Division (AMARD), along with staff from the CDE Student Achievement and Support Division (SASD) will provide an update on the data releases this year in lieu of the Dashboard, and the data resources that local educational agencies are being encouraged to consider when preparing upcoming Local Control and Accountability Plans. Presenters: Jenny Singh, Administrator, AMARD, CDE; Josh Strong, Administrator, SASD, CDE. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
2:45–3 p.m. Break
3–3:15 p.m.
Item 7–State Special Education Director’s Report: The Director from the CDE, SED will provide an update on the activities of the Division. Presenter: Heather Calomese, Director, CDE, SED. (Item type: Information, discussion)
3:15–3:30 p.m.
Item 8–Commissioner Recognition: The Commission will recognize the work of outgoing Commissioner Sarah Jocham. (Item type: Information, discussion)
3:30–4 p.m.
Item 9–Commissioner Updates and Liaison Reports: Updates from ACSE Commissioners and Reports from ACSE Liaisons will be provided. (Item type: Information, discussion)
4–4:15 p.m.
Item 10–Agenda Building for ACSE Meetings: Commissioners will recommend items to be included on future ACSE meeting agendas. (Item type: Information, discussion)
4:15–4:30 p.m.
Item 11–General Public Comment: General public comment is invited on any matter, including items not on the agenda. The ACSE is precluded from discussing matters not on the agenda; however, questions may be asked by Commissioners for clarification purposes. Issues raised by the public may be referred to a future meeting agenda. Chair reserves the right to establish time limits on presentations. (Item type: Information)
4:30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT
Adjournment of meeting.