Please note, the October 2020 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
Michele Andrus
Dawn Hamilton
Somer Harding
Sara Jocham
April Lopez
Christina Mills
Christine Oyakawa
Gina Plate
Kimberly Salomonson
Jeannine Topalian
Steven Winlock
Student Member
- Mike Infante
Legislative Members
- Honorable Richard Pan, Senate
- Honorable Jim Frazier, Assembly
State Board of Education Liaison
- Ilene Straus, State Board Member
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, October 21, 2020 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 June ACSE meeting will be held as an audio/video teleconference and will have a live webcast; Room 1101 (board room) in 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, October 16, 2020. 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 October 21, 2020, 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, October 21, 2020, 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 (GOAL) award
- Election Committee
Advisory Commission on Special Education
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 10 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California
10–10:15 a.m. Pacific Time ±
- Call to Order–Roll Call
- Salute to the Flag
- Welcome New Members
- Communications and Announcements
- Review of Agenda
- Review of How to Provide Public Comment
10:15–10:45 a.m.
Item 1–State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report: Staff from the CDE, Special Education Division (SED), will provide an update on the State Performance Plan and the Annual Performance Report. Presenter: Shiyloh Becerril, Interim Associate Director, CDE, SED. (Item type: Information, discussion)
10:45–11:45 a.m.
Item 2–An Update on the California System of Support: California Center for Educator Excellence (CCEE) and Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) leads will update the commission on the activities of the California System of Support, how they are currently supporting California school districts and their plans for the 2020–21 school year. Presenters: Karla Estrada, Deputy Executive Director, Systems Improvement and Innovation, CCEE; Ann England, Marin County SELPA; Dr. Deborah Montoya, Imperial County SELPA; Jill King, Placer County SELPA; Patricia L. Schetter, University of California, Davis. (Item type: Information, discussion)
11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Item 3–Inclusive Practices in Distance Learning: Kristin Brooks and Kevin Schaefer from Supporting Inclusive Practices will highlight model inclusive practices during the pandemic as well as the opportunities to address long term barriers to inclusion. Presenters: Kristin Brooks, Executive Director, Supporting Inclusive Practices, Riverside County Office of Education; Kevin Schaefer, Director of Equity and Inclusive Practices, Supporting Inclusive Practices, El Dorado County SELPA/Charter SELPA. (Item type: Information, discussion)
12:30–1 p.m. Lunch
1–1:45 p.m.
Item 4–State Literacy Plan: Staff from the CDE, Educator Excellence and Equity Division (EEED), will review the proposed State Literacy Plan that is to be presented to the State Board of Education in November. Presenters: Aileen Allison-Zarea, Education Administrator 1, CDE, EEED; Erika St. Andre, Education Programs Consultant, CDE, EEED. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
Background Materials are available on the CDE Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant web page
1:45–2:30 p.m.
Item 5–State Special Schools: The Director from the CDE, State Special Schools (SSS), will update the commission on the SSS, and how they are approaching instruction due to COVID 19. Presenter: Robin L. Zane, Director, SSS, CDE. (Item type: Information, discussion)
2:30–2:45 p.m. Break
2:45–3 p.m.
Item 6–Commissioner Updates and Liaison Reports: Updates from ACSE Commissioners and Reports from ACSE Liaisons will be provided. (Item type: Information, discussion)
3–3:30 p.m.
Item 7–California Special Education Funding Report: Jason Willis and Sara Menlove Doutre from WestEd, will review the information and findings in the recently released report on the California special education funding system. Presenters: Jason Willis, WestEd; Sara Menlove Doutre, WestEd. (Item type: Information, discussion, action)
Background materials are available at the WestEd website
3:30–3:45 p.m.
Item 8–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)
3:45–4 p.m.
Item 9–Commissioner Recognition: The Commission will recognize the work of the previous Chair, Somer Harding. (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.