DPA IDEA Newsletter March 2025

Last month, the U.S. Department of Education released guidance, to help state educational agencies, local educational agencies, and school staff to foster inclusive and effective learning environments. The guidance, Building and Sustaining Inclusive Educational Practices Aligned with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and Part B of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), shows how deliberate and coordinated inclusive practices benefit students with and without disabilities.

The guidance, issued by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), highlights provisions in the ESEA and the IDEA that support the use of inclusive educational practices and provides a description and guiding principles of “inclusive educational practices.”

The accompanying Dear Colleague Letter explains how inclusive educational practices help ensure each child can engage in the curriculum and have access to the array of supports, electives, and extracurricular programs. Glenna Wright-Gallo, outgoing OSERS Assistant Secretary, shares in the letter the following: “states and school districts need to create educational systems that are intentionally designed and implemented to support inclusive educational practices. In addition, general education environments can be created that are inclusive and accessible to all learners, while also ensuring that those who need more intensive instruction receive it.”

Please review and share this helpful guidance with your school staff.

Sincerely,

Dr. Eugene Thompson (Diné), Supervisory Education Specialist

The Bureau of Indian Education’s Special Education Program has launched the SY 2024-2025 Parent Involvement Survey to support BIE’s State Performance Plan (SPP/APR) Indicator 8. Approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use through 2028, the survey is open online until June 30, 2025. Parents of children with disabilities without online access can complete a paper version through their school’s special education program

On Tuesday, February 11th an email was sent to all BIE-funded schools which included the following six items to be shared for the parent survey:

1. Parent Survey Link
2. Parent Survey QR code (top right)
3. Administrator's Letter
4. Parent's Letter
5. Printable paper version of the survey to share with school special education program and staff
6. Recorded instructions for Schools and parents for facilitation and participation in the parent survey

The parent survey link is included within the administrator letter and parent letter. The recorded instructions on the parent survey may be utilized by the school for trainings.

Please share the information with your school special education program and confirm you received this email communication. If we can answer any questions, please reach out to Melanie Star, DPA Education Program Specialist at melanie.star@bie.edu. Thank you very much.

The DPA special education program will provide a ‘Dear School Leader Letter’ in February or March to all BIE-funded schools sharing notice of flexibility for Tribally-Controlled Schools regarding requirements that give flexibility to follow the timeline and procedures established by the State where they are geographically located.

The BIE DPA staff recently attended the ESEA conference virtually on Wednesday, 2/19. The National ESEA Conference is an annual project of the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) and the only conference focused entirely on federal education programs for disadvantaged students. The Conference emphasizes the critical nature of doing what’s right and what’s needed today - to help every child succeed and achieve at high levels.

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Advisory Board for Exceptional Children will hold a two-day in-person and online meeting to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) for Indian children with disabilities.

Meeting Details

• Date: Thursday, April 24th, 2025 and Friday, April 25th, 2025
• Time: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT).
• Onsite meeting location: National Indian Programs Training Center (NIPTC), 1011 Indian School Rd., Albuquerque, NM 87104.
• To attend virtually: Please register here. Attendees register once and can attend one or both meeting events. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Public commenting sessions will be provided at any time during both meeting days on Thursday, April 24, 2025, and Friday, April 25, 2025. The following agenda items for this meeting are special education topics:

• BIE Central Office – Updates and Changes;
• The BIE’s Special Education Program Updates;
• Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute: address the challenges of preparing educators for schools serving significant numbers of Native American students in Bureau funded schools;
• Overview of Blindness and Visual Impairment; and
• Advisory Board Work Session to address the next meeting logistics, discuss next steps, provide recommendations for future projects or meetings, wrap-up important decisions, discuss outstanding tasks, and share working folder with board members for future meetings.

Please make requests in advance for sign language interpreter services, assistive listening devices, or other reasonable accommodations. Please contact the person listed in the section titled For Further Information Contact at least seven (7) business days prior to the meeting to give the Department of the Interior sufficient time to process your request. All reasonable accommodation requests are managed on a case-by-case basis.

For further information contact: Jennifer Davis, Designated Federal Officer, Bureau of Indian Education, 2600 N. Central Ave., 12th floor, Suite 250, Phoenix, AZ 85004, Jennifer.Davis@bie.edu, or mobile phone (202) 860-7845.

The ELA and the VLLS students from Dr. D. Thompson’s classes submitted nine (9) Gingerbread houses created by nine students from 9th and 10 grade on December 10, 2024 to the Rio West Mall Management Office. The houses received votes from visitors to the Rio West Mall throughout the past weekend. After the votes were tallied one ninth grade student from Wingate High School placed in 3rd. He will be taking home $25.00. The first and 2nd prizes went to others from the surrounding areas.

The Gingerbread house that placed from Wingate High School was created by McLane Antone. He named his creation “Farm House with zoo animals.”

Born and raised in New Mexico, my name is Eugene Thompson (aka Gene) and a member of the Navajo Tribe. Currently, I serve as the Supervisory Education Program Specialist (Special Education) for the BIE where my main responsibility is to ensure DPA’s functions are in accordance with federal IDEA regulatory requirements.

Before my current position, I was an Education Program Specialist for the BIE and was responsible for general supervision activities. Prior to working for the BIE, I served as the Director of Educational Leadership at the UNM School of Medicine/Center for Development and Disability where I directed and supervised an educational improvement project focused on technical assistance and professional development for BIE-funded schools of the Navajo Nation. Prior to that, I was Executive Director of a private special education school on the Navajo Reservation where I served in an educational leadership role to develop and implement short and long-range strategic plans, objectives, policies and procedures with the Board of Directors. In all of my work, I have surrounded myself with positive people and encouraged them to work hard and succeed. I use my positive attitude to believe that I am the champion of my ideas.

From my early days in high school, I found inspiration from three individuals. First, my dormitory guidance counselor at Albuquerque Indian School wrote in my annual book the following: “In four years, I expect you to get a college degree.” Second, a white classmate at Del Norte High School wrote in my yearbook: “to a future doctor of America; good luck.” Finally, my mother instilled in me the importance of an education. These three individuals believed in me and that’s what continues to inspire me today.

My clan identifies who I am. My maternal clan is To’baazhni’azhi (two came to water) and paternal clan is To’ahani (near the water). My maternal grandparent is Ashihi (salt clan) and my paternal grandparent is To’aheedlinii (water flows together). Three of my clans are related to water so I’m attracted to the ocean and beaches. My favorite beaches are Bondi Beach and Manley Beach in Australia and Spencer Beach on the Big Island in Hawaii. Living in the desert southwest, the clear blue sky is my ocean.

I have been married to my wife Daisy, the love of my life and also an educator, for 40 years and we have three adult children and three adult grandchildren. They inspire me daily. We are all Denver Broncos fans and UNM Lobos basketball fans. We attend games when we can. Go Lobos! The March Madness is a good get-away trip for us when the Lobos are doing well like this year.

In my free time, I like to walk, do photography, travel, watch good movies, listen to blues music, watch Steven Colbert Late Show, and enjoy a good home-cooked meal with NM green chile. My wife and I have traveled together to England, France, Mexico, and Australia. We just renewed our passports so our next destinations will be New Zealand and the World Cup. We have also traveled in the United States to see as many beautiful National Parks as we can. It’s hard to explain the beauty... you just have to be there.

Finally, I earned a doctorate degree from Arizona State University in Educational Administration and Supervision, a master’s degree in special education from Northern Arizona University, and a Bachelor of University Studies degree from the University of New Mexico. My dissertation research, “The Impact of Cedar Rapids on Special Education in Arizona American Indian School Districts” examined the impact of the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F. In addition, I have also done two study-visits to the University of Oxford/St. Peter’s College, and one study-visit to the University of London, Institute of Education.

As we approach the state-wide assessment period, educators and administrators need to ensure that students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are fully prepared. Please take the time to review each of your student’s IEPs to verify that appropriate accommodations are in place for the upcoming assessments. Whether it is extended time, a quiet testing environment, or assistive technology, these accommodations are critical for providing equitable access to testing and reflecting each student’s true abilities. Be sure to communicate these accommodations clearly and with all testing staff well in advance.

Additionally, for students eligible for alternate assessments, it is important to confirm that their participation is documented and that the necessary preparations are made. Alternate assessments provide an alternative means of measuring student progress and are tailored to meet the unique needs of students who cannot participate in standard testing. By carefully reviewing IEPs and ensuring that all accommodations and assessment options are accounted for, we can help guarantee that all students can demonstrate their learning in a way that is fair and appropriate for their individual needs.

Please reach out to your BIE IDEA specialist should you have any questions regarding assessments.

Understanding State-Level Public Reporting Responsibilities for Special Education

At the BIE state level, public reporting on special education is crucial for ensuring accountability and transparency in how services are provided to students with disabilities. These responsibilities are primarily guided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and include several key components:

• Annual Performance Reports (APR): States must submit these reports to the U.S. Department of Education, detailing progress on goals in state performance plans (SPPs), including data on graduation rates, dropout rates, and least restrictive environment placements.
• Data Collection and Reporting: States are required to collect and report data on:
• The number of students receiving special education services.
• Types of disabilities represented.
• Services provided to students.
• Outcomes for students with disabilities, including academic achievement and post-school success.

• Compliance Monitoring: States oversee local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure compliance with IDEA and state laws, addressing any non-compliance issues that arise.

• Public Input and Engagement: States must engage with stakeholders, including parents, advocacy groups, and educators, to gather feedback and improve special education policies and practices.

By adhering to these public reporting responsibilities, states can enhance the quality of education for students with disabilities, ensuring they receive the support they need to succeed while keeping the public informed about special education services and outcomes.

BIE Public Reporting Landing Pages:

https://www.bie.edu/landing-page/special-education

https://www.bie.edu/topic-page/performance-data-statistics

The Unmet Needs Application deadline closed on November 15, 2024, with 25 schools successfully submitting their applications. We appreciate all the schools that applied on time.

The primary goal of the Unmet Needs program is to allocate IDEA Part B funds to schools based on the following categories:

• Priority 1 - Increased high-needs enrollment
• Priority 2 - Substantial (10%) increase enrollment of students with disabilities
• Priority 3 - Unique circumstances related to students with disabilities and can't be a schoolwide need.

Schools are encouraged not to apply for both Priority 1 and Priority 2. For Priority 1 and Priority 2, schools should attach a current NASIS AdHoc Report - Special Education students receiving service.

The SY 2024-25 Unmet Needs Applications have been reviewed. The application status will be shared within the next few weeks, and schools will be contacted with any follow-up questions. Please contact Laura Tsosie (202-860-5286) or Alyssa Yeppa with any questions or concerns.

The Second and Final LSPP Checkpoint textbox will be available on March 1st, 2025 on the Native Star portal. Please ensure that you submit your Final LSPP by March 30th, 2025.

The assigned DPA-IDEA Education Specialist will evaluate the progress of all Improvement Activities related to the applicable SPP/APR Indicators. If you need help, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Eleanor Francis-Jones at eleanor.jones@bie.edu.

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&