The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations require state education agencies (SEAs) to address in their State Eligibility Documents a mechanism for ensuring that local education agencies (LEAS) maintain appropriately qualified personnel to provide special education and related services for children and youth with disabilities served by public and private agencies. This includes the provision of health care services to students with medically-related needs.
Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) rules, Special Education and Related Services Procedural Requirements and Program Standards, §26.00, Personnel Development and Standards, July 2008 states: “Each public agency must ensure that all personnel necessary to carry out Part B of the IDEA within the jurisdiction of the agency are appropriately and adequately prepared, subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 300.156 (related to personnel qualifications) and Section 2122 of the ESEA.”
The ADE Special Education Unit is working collaboratively with the Arkansas Alliance Advisory Council for Personnel Development to provide more direct, specialized training to paraprofessionals who work primarily with students with special healthcare needs, those who are medically fragile, chronically ill, and technology dependent served in public schools.
As part of this effort, the ADE Special Education Unit is offering Facilitator Training for Registered Nurses in the special health care needs training module. This training module will outline the roles, responsibilities and regulations applicable to registered nurses, LEA special education supervisors, teachers and paraprofessionals who work with students with special health care needs in local public school districts or educational services cooperatives.
Each registered nurse who completes the training will be able to provide on-site training to teachers and paraprofessionals who are working with students who are medically fragile, chronically ill and/or technology dependent; as well as who work with other students who require an individual health care plan as part of their educational services.
The Facilitator Training for Registered Nurses is scheduled for June 10, 2010. The three-hour facilitator training will be provided through distance learning at each educational services cooperative. There will be two opportunities to receive the training that day, in Session I from 9 a.m. to noon or in Session II from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Registration is required through ESCWorks with your local educational service cooperative. Please specify which training session and in which co-op region you plan to attend. Participation at your district’s co-op is free; however, if attending training at another co-op, you may be assessed a fee. You will need to check directly with that co-op to see what the cost would be if you attend out of area.
For more information, please contact Donna Broyles at donna.broyles@arkansas.gov or call 501-682-4222.