Arkansas Special Education Project

The Medicaid Waiver for Autism & Special Ed

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:26:28 +0000

I wanted to address a key point with respect to all the work being done in Arkansas in pursuit of a Medicaid waiver that will permit for limited services to be provided to a relatively small number of very young children with autism in Arkansas and how that relates to the State’s overall special education [...]

8th Circuit Standard for What Constitutes a FAPE

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:44:02 +0000

We received a question from one of the followers of this blog regarding what constitutes a FAPE according to the 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. When due process cases are being tried, being that Arkansas is within the 8th Circuit, decisions produced by the 8th Circuit are generally used to determine the legal precedents. [...]

Experts Do Exist in Arkansas

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:15:16 +0000

While I’m not even close to having reviewed all of the information provided by the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research in response to our FOIA request (see our previous article “Wealth of Info from Ark Leg Task Force on Autism),” I did listen to the audio recording of the May 21, 2010 meeting of the [...]

Wealth of Info from Ark Leg Task Force on Autism

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:41:04 +0000

In response to our many Arkansas FOIA requests made to get information regarding the delivery of special education to eligible students in Arkansas, we were referred by the Arkansas Department of Education (“ADE”) to the Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Autism for some of the information we have been seeking. As indicated previously, we wrote [...]

Yet Another FOIA Request

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:12:12 +0000

In the February 5, 2010 response I received from the Arkansas Department of Education (“ADE”), Chief Counsel Jeremy C. Lasiter advised that I had to contact the Department of Human Services (“DHS”) to get the records I’m seeking with respect to Questions #2-5 in my original AFOIA request of January 9, 2010. Click here to [...]

Analyzing ADE’s 1st FOIA Response

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:41:57 +0000

The following information comes from the ADE website at http://arksped.k12.ar.us/sections/nontraditionalprograms.html. . Non-Traditional Programs The Non-Traditional Programs Section provides general oversight and supervision of special education services delivered in non-traditional settings such as Juvenile Detention Facilities, residential treatment facilities, state-operated facilities, and charter schools. Non-traditional program staff monitor for compliance with federal and state special education [...]

Latest FOIA Request

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:30:55 +0000

Okay, so I’m beginning at the beginning with all of the data I have to cull through and the additional requests I have to make under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (“AFOIA”). In the February 5, 2010 response I received from the Arkansas Department of Education (“ADE”), Chief Counsel Jeremy C. Lasiter advised that [...]

Arkansas Still Needing Help with Compliance

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:47:33 +0000

As I reported in our article, “OSEP Provides Additional Information” on April 9, 2010, the new 2010 data is now out. You can link to the 2010 data by clicking on the links below: June 3, 2010 Letter from OSEP to ADE Accompanying Table I am in the process of reviewing this information and reconciling [...]

US Justice Dept Sues Ark for Statewide ADA Violations

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:42:39 +0000

Now that the school year is pretty much over everywhere, I’m back to blogging and getting caught up on the Arkansas Special Education Project. And, just in time for me to get cracking on the Project again, I got a Tweet today from Anne Barbano (@anne_barbano), who has an online radio program “The Next Frontier” [...]

OSEP Provides Additional Data

podcast@kps4parents.org (Anne M. Zachry, KPS4Parents) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:58:02 +0000

Last week, I emailed a link to this site to Matthew Schneer, the person from the US Dept. of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (“OSEP”) who oversees Arkansas’ compliance with special education law on a state-wide basis. You will see his name pop up in the documentation provided to us in response to our [...]