DPA IDEA Newsletter June/July 2025

We hope you are enjoying the summer months.

The BIE Special Education Program expects the Special Education Policy to be finalized this summer and ready for implementation by the start of SY 2025-2026. In addition to the policy, an optional procedures manual is also being developed, which will be helpful and useful for school special education staff as they begin to adopt and implement the policies. Our goal is to have the completed procedural manual routed along with the final policy document in the Data Tracking System (DTS) and signed by Director Dearman.

In the meantime, the DPA special education program continues to prepare for training and technical assistance for schools to support implementation as soon as possible. Stay tuned for more information about the supports available to you and your school teams.

The BIE is excited to announce the 2025 School Improvement Summer Training, themed "The Why Behind the Work: Making Every Move Student-Centered." This year’s event, scheduled for July 22–24, 2025, was directly shaped by feedback from previous participants—ensuring that the content, structure, and delivery meet the needs expressed by school teams and BIE staff.

This virtual training brings together educators and leaders to improve student outcomes for American Indian students by aligning ESSA and IDEA funding and programs, advancing School Improvement and Accountability, enhancing NASIS Data Quality, and promoting actionable, student-centered planning. Gain tools, insights, and strategies to ensure every decision is purposeful, impactful, and focused on what's best for students. Click the button below to register.

For inquiries, contact:

• Colleen Clark (colleen.clark@bie.edu)
• Shilo Krolikowski (shilo.krolikowski@bie.edu)
• Detroit James (detroit.james@bie.edu)

The Division of Performance and Accountability issues determinations each year on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Education, based on the BIE State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report.

The Public Report has been updated with Indicator 8 data for the week of June 23 - 27, 2025. So far, we have received 4,115 surveys from 163 schools. The Survey of Parent Involvement in Special Education (Indicator 8 – Parent Survey) remains open until June 30, 2025.

To ensure data accuracy, please remind parents of their child’s “disability category,” as some may not be familiar with this information. Providing it will help ensure surveys are completed correctly. Thank you to everyone who assisted, and congratulations to ADD-BOS for all their schools submitting surveys.

If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Star, DPA Education Program Specialist, at melanie.star@bie.edu.

The National Resource Center for Paraeducators, Related Service Providers, & Interveners (NRCP) begins its fourth year of Saturday morning webinars for paraeducators and their teams, held every second Saturday from August 2025 to July 2026. These two-hour sessions cover topics like roles, behavior, instructional strategies, and teamwork. All staff are welcome, with 20% discounts available for teams of five or more. Pricing starts at $25 per session, or participants can save with bundle deals, including $250 for all 12 sessions with extended access through August 2026.

For more details, contact Laura Lema at laura.lema@usu.edu.

January Board meeting. Back row, left to right: Chairperson Norman Shawanokasic, Brian Wagner, and Secretary Leon Reval. Front row, left to right: Dr. Janet Slowman, Melanie Star, Pilar Pourier (former vice-chair/term ended), and Vice-Chair Dr. Elizabeth Younce.

The purpose of the BIE’s Advisory Board for Exceptional Children is to improve special education and related services for children with disabilities within the BIE and to assist the Secretary of the Interior in fulfilling his duties under the IDEA by advising on the needs of Indian children with disabilities. As required by IDEA, the Board is to “provide an annual report to the Secretary of the Interior and to Congress containing a description of the activities of the advisory board for the preceding year. The Secretary of the Interior shall make available to the Secretary of Education a copy of the annual report.”

During the January 2025 and April 2025 board meetings, the Board worked on recommendations for the upcoming FFY 2024 annual report. Each Advisory Board meeting includes time for public comments. By the end of the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2024, before 10/1/2025, the Board will finalize the FFY 2024 annual report. After that, the report is submitted to the BIE Director’s Office and then to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Office, going through the various levels of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s signature process before it is delivered to the Secretary of the Interior’s Office for final review. The Board’s previous annual reports can be accessed.

A call for nominations for Advisory Board members was published in the Federal Register, and the deadline recently passed on June 6, 2025. There are four positions on the board to fill, and the advertisement requested applicants to fulfill the following roles:

• Indian persons with disabilities
• State education officials
• Service providers
• State Interagency Coordinating Councils under section 641 of the Act in States having Indian reservations.

The BIE/DPA/IDEA is reviewing nomination applications submitted by the June 6, 2025, deadline. Applications that meet the criteria will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Committee Managing Officer to begin the vetting process with the White House Liaison.

If you have any questions about the BIE Advisory Board for Exceptional Children, please contact Jennifer Davis, the Designated Federal Officer at the Bureau of Indian Education, Division of Performance & Accountability, at Jennifer.davis@bie.edu. To view the current advisory board members, click on the document below.

Thank you for submitting your school's Local School Performance Plan (LSPP) for SY 2024-2025. The LSPP aims to address the measurable targets of the BIE State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) indicators that pertain to the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). The development of the LSPP improvement activities helps demonstrate progress on all BIE SPP/APR indicator targets. The plan focuses on continuous improvement and how the SPP/APR indicator targets will be met, resulting in positive outcomes for students with IEPs. Plans are underway to transition to a new platform, so stay tuned.

We’re happy to share that most schools have completed all three reporting sessions, with noticeable improvements in the quality of submitted Improvement Activities. As you proceed, please ensure each Improvement Activity includes supporting data aligned with the relevant Indicator.

The DPA IDEA team will host a virtual session titled "Leveraging the Local School Performance Plan (LSPP) to Improve Results for Students with Disabilities" during the Summer Training 2025 on July 23. You won't want to miss this, so registration and participation are encouraged as we work together to support meaningful outcomes for all students.

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Eleanor Francis-Jones, Education specialist, at Eleanor.Jones@bie.edu or call (202) 860-7885.

Benchmark assessments are approaching, and preparing students is crucial, especially those with disabilities with individualized education programs. Here are some tips for preparing and supporting your students during and after assessments.

Before the assessment:

• Review each student's IEP and accommodation plan.

• Communicate with parents and guardians.

• Familiarize students with the test format.

• Provide necessary assistive technology.

• Train testing staff.

• Arrange the test environment.

During the assessment:

• Implement IEP accommodations.

• Monitor students' well-being (e.g., reduce anxiety by providing breaks as outlined in the IEP and ensure they are using their accommodations).

• Administer the alternate assessment (if applicable).

• Ensure clear communication with students (e.g. where to ask for help, understanding directions, etc.).

• Document any issues or adjustments.

After the assessment:

• Review and document test results.

• Provide feedback to students.

• Evaluate accommodation effectiveness.

• Prepare for future assessments, including Alternate Assessment (if applicable).

Using these tips, schools can develop a supportive and fair testing environment for students with disabilities, making sure they receive the accommodations they need to succeed on statewide assessments. Careful preparation, effective execution during the test, and thoughtful follow-up will help students feel confident and capable, allowing them to demonstrate their true abilities. Ongoing reflection and adjustment of strategies will create a positive, inclusive testing experience that addresses every student's needs.

NASIS Micro Training Series

• Session 1 – Secondary Transition Components; Passcode: +s6iAmpN
• Session 2 – Secondary Transition Components Continued; Passcode: $s*QCW9X
• Session 3 – NASIS Module IEP Editors; Passcode: *205YAKq
• Session 4 – New Look IEP module changes; Passcode: @zOb4sw&
• Session 5 – NASIS Infinite Campus IEP review Micro Training; Passcode: 01tSbwY%
• Session 6 – IEP Module Team Meeting Participants Page; Passcode: C4bK8m.h
• Session 7 – IEP Module Problem Solving; Passcode: +!I^V8HQ
• Session 8 – IEP Module Open Discussion; Passcode: !bc2*2L&