Board hears Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee outreach, parent survey and resources update

Wicomico County Public Schools staff described work by the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (CCAC), outreach to families and a pending grant proposal to train families as local ambassadors for families of students with disabilities.

Kevin (presenter) and LaVonne Atkins, family support coordinator and CCAC chair, briefed the board on CCAC activities, meeting logistics and parent engagement related to the Maryland Parent Survey. Staff said Maryland requires each school system to maintain a CCAC and that parent input is a cornerstone of the IDEA process and the district’s special-education grant planning.

Why it matters: CCAC feedback informs the district’s IDEA Part B discretionary spending, training priorities and supports families’ understanding of IEP procedures and procedural safeguards.

Staff said CCAC meetings are held in September, October, February and March, typically on Thursday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in a hybrid format at Prince Street, with interpreters available on request. The CCAC uses modest IDEA discretionary funds to contract providers, print materials and support parent workshops; staff maintain a Maryland State Department of Education parent-information binder divided into five sections (including special-education process and parental rights and procedural safeguards) and distribute materials at fairs and meetings.

District staff urged families to complete the Maryland Parent Survey; staff reported that last year more than 80 percent of respondents who took that special-education survey participated (staff did not provide a total eligible-population denominator for that figure) and said results will be reported back to the district in summer or early fall to inform training and CCAC agendas.

Staff described current supports: LaVonne Atkins provides one-on-one family coaching, attends MSDE trainings and links families to outside advocates or community resources such as Kennedy Krieger Institute, Pathfinders for Autism and Wraparound of Maryland. Kevin outlined a pending grant application (Maryland Elevates) in partnership with Kennedy Krieger Institute to establish a family-host and family-ambassador model in two elementary schools (Prince Street and Chipman elementary). If awarded, trained families would work with staff and other families to build collaboration, trust and understanding of the special-education process and potentially expand the model districtwide.

Board discussion included requests to improve website searchability for CCAC information and additional outreach to increase participation. A board member asked for a current count of students with disabilities; staff said the district has just over 1,600 students identified as students with disabilities and that exact percentages of participation in IEP meetings were not provided in the meeting.

Speakers - Mister Smith (presenter), staff member (Special Education briefing) - LaVonne Atkins, Family Support Coordinator and CCAC Chair (first reference at 00:18:15) - Kevin (presenter), staff member (discussed grant proposal and partnerships) - Doctor Stauffer, Superintendent (referenced) - Missus Hazel, Board member (commenter)

Authorities [{"type":"policy","name":"Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Maryland State Department of Education guidance","citation":"IDEA and COMAR references discussed","referenced_by":["special-education-ccac-parent-engagement"]}]

Actions []

Discussion vs decision - Discussion: CCAC mission and schedule; parent survey outreach; family-support services; grant proposal with Kennedy Krieger Institute; CCAC discretionary funds use. - Direction: Staff to continue outreach, encourage family survey completion and report survey results; pursue grant funding and report back on award status. - Formal action: None recorded in the transcript.

Clarifying details [{"category":"ccac_meetings","detail":"CCAC meetings schedule and format","value":"September, October, February, March; Thursdays 6:00–7:30 p.m.; hybrid at Prince Street","units":"dates/times","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"LaVonne Atkins"},{"category":"special_education_population","detail":"students identified as students with disabilities in district","value":1600,"units":"students","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Kevin"},{"category":"idea_discretionary_funds","detail":"small amount of IDEA Part B discretionary funds set aside for CCAC to contract providers and print materials","value":"not specified","units":"USD","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Mister Smith"},{"category":"parent_survey_timing","detail":"survey results returned to district","value":"summer/early fall","units":"timeframe","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Mister Smith"}]

Proper_names [{"name":"Wicomico County Public Schools","type":"agency"},{"name":"Kennedy Krieger Institute","type":"organization"},{"name":"Pathfinders for Autism","type":"nonprofit"},{"name":"Wraparound of Maryland","type":"organization"},{"name":"Maryland State Department of Education","type":"agency"}]

Community_relevance {"geographies":["Wicomico County, MD"],"funding_sources":["IDEA Part B discretionary funds"],"impact_groups":["parents of students with disabilities","IEP teams","special education staff"]}

Meeting_context {"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":5,"duration_minutes":36,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"low","history":[{"date":"not specified","note":"CCAC is a standing requirement for Maryland school systems and feeds into IDEA grant planning."}]}

Searchable_tags ["CCAC","special education","parent survey","IEP","family support"]

Provenance {"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"s_1815.69","local_start":0,"local_end":68,"evidence_excerpt":"Good morning. Morning. Morning, Chairman Malone, Vice Chair Platts, members of the Board of Education, Superintendent Stauffer, it's great to see all of you this morning. And it's great to have with me, miss LaVonne Atkins, who is our family support coordinator and our Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee chair.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"s_2857.7898","local_start":0,"local_end":176,"evidence_excerpt":"We recently submitted a grant proposal, as part of a Maryland Elevates grama for a family as host and family as ambassador project partnership. If the grant is approved, this will establish a family as host model in 2, of our elementary schools. We're looking at Prince Street Elementary School and Chipman Elementary School...","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]},