Shared Member Services

Educational:

  • Oversee district activities to address Priorities and Indicators in the Minnesota Special Education Performance Plan.

  • Ensure implementation of federal and state special education mandates.

  • Provide special education technical assistance to educators, families and community agencies.

  • Support IEP development, use of assistive technology and Universal Design for Learning for district general and special education staff.

  • Implement comprehensive interagency planning services for children and youth ages 0-21.

  • Provide staff development for special and general education staff, administrators and county personnel as it pertains to special education.

  • Develop systems that give students successful transition experiences from 0-2 to preschool, from preschool to elementary school, from elementary to middle school, from middle school to high school and high school to adult living.

  • Coordinate work experiences for eligible high school students with disabilities.

  • Provide educational occupational and physical therapy services.

  • Provide low incidence disability services: vision, deaf/hard of hearing, autism and students with physical disabilities.

  • Fulfill birth through 2 child find mandate.

  • Support district data collection and reporting activities.

  • Review district teacher caseloads to determine percentage of time spent with each disability area. (MDE required licensing information).

Data Collection

  • Monitor student IEP and evaluation data for accuracy.

  • Provide districts with information on teacher workloads, disabilities, service provided and student enrollment projections.

  • Complete and submit required state reports. Compile and report child count composite by district.

  • Verify MARSS data and follow-up on discrepancies.

  • Coordinate with district MARSS coordinators to assure special education reporting accuracy.

  • Collect data, as directed by the Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative Agreement and Board members.

Communication Services


Director meets formally with the following groups to update, disseminate and receive information related to special education:

  • Cooperative Board - five times per year

  • Interagency Council – five times per year

  • Work Based Learning staff – four times per year

  • Cooperative Social Workers – twice per year

  • Cooperative Principals - twice per year

  • Cooperative District Psychologists – once per month

  • Cooperative Coordinators – once per month

  • Cooperative District Counselors – twice per year

  • Cooperative District Nurses – three times per year.

  • Cooperative District Business Managers – three times per year.

  • District teacher representative group (Communication Committee) - four times per year.

  • NLSEC itinerate staff - four times per year.

  • NLSEC Parent Advisory Committee – five times per year

  • Publish quarterly Interagency Special Connections newsletter

  • Maintain Cooperative web page.

Finance, Accounting and Reporting

  • Track and report federal and state early childhood expenditures for each district and enter into EDRS and SERVS.

  • Provide state and federal NLSEC budget information to districts three times each year.

  • Process contracts for service and monitor expenses and licenses of providers.

  • Complete and file yearly state Special Education Applications for state and federal aid.

  • Maintain a personnel file for all teachers in the NLSEC districts to include a copy of current license and resume. Maintain a record of teacher license expiration dates. Notify district administration and teachers as needed.

  • Review all state reports for accuracy and follow up with discrepancies.

  • Monitor tuition costs for each member district.

  • Process student service agreements for all non-resident students attending Cooperative districts.

Legal Issues

  • Coordinate and facilitate the MDE Special Education Compliance and Assistance monitoring process.

  • Conduct yearly compliance reviews in each district.

  • Assist districts with dispute resolution.

  • Investigate and process formal complaints involving NLSEC districts and The Minnesota Department of Education Division of Compliance and Assistance.

  • Maintain current knowledge of special education law and report updates/changes to district personnel and NLSEC Parent Advisory Committee.

  • Maintain/monitor the NLSEC Total Special Education Systems Policies and Procedures Manual.

  • Interpret special education rules and regulations for district staff and parents.

  • Support and liaison for the Cooperative for the cooperative business manager and MDE.

  • Collect financial data from member districts and bill for services shared between cooperative districts.

  • Provide assistance and reports to district auditors.

Medical Assistance Billing

  • Assist Cooperative districts to maximize reimbursement of MA funds for health related IEP services.

  • Process and monitor all district medical assistance claims.

  • Provide superintendents with quarterly medical assistance revenue statements.

  • Monitor consent forms for expired insurance forms, process third party.

  • Train special education staff and district administrators on the implementation of the medical assistance billing process.

  • Review IEPs and MA student activity for MA billing.

Interagency Planning and Implementation

  • Coordinate interagency planning and implementation efforts with the twelve districts, five counties and disability organizations within the Special Education Cooperative.

  • Participate with Interagency Council members to train disability stakeholders on the interagency planning process.

Training


Provide special education training opportunities for the following district staff:

  • District administrators

  • School psychologists

  • General education teachers

  • School social workers

  • School nurses

  • School counselors

  • Parents

  • Training opportunities include:

  • Due process/legal information

  • Disability specific topics

  • Secondary transition planning

  • Assistive technology

  • Special education finance

  • Data collection, interpretation and reporting

  • Interagency planning

  • Medical assistance billing

  • Implementation of related services

Other Services

  • Assist Cooperative districts with the hiring of special education staff.

  • Prepare and present reports to school boards as requested by Cooperative superintendents.

  • Type and process vacancy notices and advertise for vacant positions.

  • Apply for Variance or Provisional License as needed for Co-op and district staff.

  • Assist districts to comply with NCLB provisions as related to special education.

  • Prepare special education workload studies and staff recommendations upon request from districts.