No. It is understood that some IEPs will go beyond their annual review dates. Do not feel pressured to participate in a virtual IEP meeting if you are not comfortable. Your student will continue to receive ESE instruction and services even if their IEP has gone beyond the yearly review date. However, the use of videoconferencing has proven to be an effective way to have the participants, including the parents, to feel valued and heard.

No. There are no in-person IEP meetings being held while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

All documents generated during a virtual IEP meeting will be provided electronically. If you can sign and return documents electronically, please do so. If you do not have the capabilities, the documents will be obtained upon the return to traditional school. The district is currently working on options for parents to sign certain documents electronically.

All IEP meetings scheduled for the week of March 16, 2020, through March 20, 2020, were rescheduled. Beginning March 30, 2020, ESE Specialists received training on conducting IEP meetings through technology. No meetings will be held in-person until traditional school resumes. You will be contacted by staff from your child’s school regarding any IEP meeting that was scheduled or will be scheduled using either videoconferencing or teleconferencing. For an IEP meeting to be held, the required participants must be available and able to participate. You will be provided with a Parent Participation Form indicating that the meeting will be held via teleconference/videoconference through electronic mail. Your electronic acknowledgment and agreement to participate in the virtual IEP will be documented as an electronic signature on the Parent Participation Form.

The parent asks the ESE specialist to request an interpreter for the meeting. The ESOL department is processing requests for interpreters to participate in virtual IEP meetings. If the parent is deaf or hard of hearing, an interpreter can participate in the meeting to assist the parent or family member. In some instances, there may be a meeting participant who is able to translate the IEP meeting. Please notify the school staff member inviting you to the IEP meeting that you need a translator. In some instances, if an interpreter is not available, the meeting may be postponed until traditional school resumes.

All documents will be sent electronically while schools are closed. If parents can receive documents via email, portable document format (PDF) copies will be sent to parents for signature. Otherwise, parent consent for initial services will be obtained when traditional school resumes.

Please contact the ESE Specialist at your student’s school via email to make the request. In-person evaluations will continue when traditional school resumes. If you have already given consent for evaluation, you may be contacted to complete those components that can be done remotely.

Your student will receive academic services through his/her teacher(s). Teachers have
created Canvas courses highlighting instruction and assignments. Teachers also have
office hours when parents and students may contact them for instruction and direction.
Your child’s teacher may use various methods of instructional presentation
including Canvas, videos, email, phone calls, and text messages.

The ESLS Division is supporting ESE teachers/classrooms. Canvas support courses
are available to teachers at all levels.
Additionally, weekly collaboration workshops are scheduled for ESE teachers in order to
provide support. ESLS district curriculum teams are available between the hours of
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. to provide technical support and consultation to teachers in the
areas of curriculum, assistive technology, speech and language, and social
emotional/behavior.

Your student will receive comparable accommodations based on what is listed in his/her
current IEP/504 plan. You may discuss accommodations with your student’s
teachers. Teachers will provide the accommodations to the extent possible. For
example, shortened assignments, extended time on assignments, guided study guides,
etc. Other accommodations may need to be provided by parents/families (e.g., frequent
breaks, quiet testing environment, reading directions, etc.). Please discuss accommodations with your student’s teacher(s) and/or ESE Specialist/504 liaison should you have any concerns.

For immediate assistance, please contact your child’s teacher, during specific office
hours. If you need assistance to log in, please contact your child’s school for IT support.
If you need assistance with your child’s IEP, please contact your child’s ESE
Specialist.

Yes. The ESLS Counselors are contacting parents via telephone and email to schedule
appointments for counseling via multiple modalities. However, in-person counseling is
not being offered at this time.

General education courses are supported by both the general education teacher and/or
ESE provider(s). ESE teachers/providers will collaborate with general education
teachers to fulfill the support needs of your child’s IEP goals.

Parents will be contacted by teachers/service providers who work with their child while school is typically in session. A temporary distance learning plan (TDLP) will be provided, and support will be provided to the student and parent while schools are closed due to COVID-19. Parents may elect to engage their child in the TDLP and resources provided.

Communication can occur with private providers with a signed release of information. Please remember that school staff will not have access to all the documentation previously received and may need a new release signed to ensure that they are collaborating with outside providers with your consent.

No. Evaluation specialists will reach out to all families with scheduled appointments to provide consultation and resources to use with children at home. Once Broward County Public Schools re-opens, all families will be rescheduled for in-person screenings/evaluations in the same order of the original appointments.

A Child Find Specialists and evaluators will contact all families by phone or email to reschedule appointments into the new schedule once Broward County Public Schools re-open.

The phone number for the Child Find Office is 754-321-7216.

Referrals to Child Find may be completed online at www.browardschools.com/esls.

Yes, the Child Find Office is open to receive referrals for children birth to 5 years with suspected developmental delays/disabilities, however, Child Find Specialists are working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision to videoconference is at the teacher’s discretion.

Staff are using a variety of modalities for tele/video conferencing. In order to maintain the security and privacy of a provider, they are advised to utilize the calling feature in Canvas. If they do not have access to this, they may use other methods to communicate with parents/guardians.

The District is using the Canvas online platform. Continued professional development is being offered to instructional and non-instructional staff regarding the use of Canvas.   For individual concerns, students/parents should reach out to the teacher.

Contact the teacher during the teacher’s office hours to discuss the concerns.

Student attendance is collected through the daily sign-on through Canvas.

If a service provider is engaging with a group of students live via chat group, teleconferencing, or video conferencing, and a parent is in close proximity observing, it is possible that parents will see the names of the other students in their child’s group.  Teachers and service providers are cautioned to be mindful to not mention or share other private information about specific students during group sessions. It is important to note that under normal circumstances, a parent has the right to make an appointment to
observe their child’s classroom or special education service group. When observing in person on the school campus, a parent would also see the other students in the room and potentially hear their names. Additionally, if a parent is uncomfortable with their child participating in live group virtual activities due to privacy issues, the parent should express this concern to the student’s teacher/service provider and collaborate to determine alternate methods for the student to receive the instruction.

A student can participate in a videoconference and turn the camera off. The student will be able to hear the class and see the information the teacher is posting as well as answer questions or participate in group interaction. It is recommended that students/parents reach out to teachers to address these types of concerns and collaborate on possible alternatives. Teachers should be encouraged to consult with families on a mutually agreed upon alternative and capture such arrangement in contacts. 

The ESLS Counselors are contacting parents via telephone and email to schedule appointments for counseling via multiple modalities, but not face-to face at this time.

IEP meetings: Yes. You will be contacted by staff from your child’s school regarding any IEP meeting that was scheduled or will be scheduled using either videoconferencing or teleconferencing. For an IEP meeting to be held, the required participants must be available and able to participate. You will be provided with a Parent Participation Form indicating that the meeting will be held via teleconference/videoconference through electronic mail. Your electronic acknowledgement and agreement to participate in the virtual IEP will be documented as an electronic signature on the Parent Participation Form. 

Evaluations: If you have already given consent for evaluation, you may be contacted to complete those components that can be done remotely. In-person evaluations will continue when traditional school resumes. In some cases, the school may have had no knowledge of any concerns prior to school closures. Please contact the ESE Specialist at your student’s school via email to make the request and once school resumes, you will be contacted.

Distance learning has created many challenges for educators and families. Establishing clear lines of communication between teachers and families is the first step to overcoming these challenges. Once this has been established, parents can communicate their needs and concerns and then work with the school to remedy them, with the understanding that our families are working as hard as they can to successfully navigate their children’s learning and home environment.

Parents should contact their child’s teacher to discuss the concern. They can also contact the ESE Specialist and/or Administrator to assist with the concern.

No, IEPs are being changed solely due to the school closures as a result of the COVID19 outbreak. Virtual IEP meetings will be held while schools are closed whenever the parents and the school agree and the required team members are present. However, in some instances, the current IEP cannot be fully implemented through virtual learning.
Each student will receive a TDLP outlining the supports and services that will be provided while the student is in a distance learning environment. All of the procedural safeguard rights are intact while schools are closed.

• General education to all students is provided through a learning management
  system platform (Canvas by Instructure).
• The move to virtual education has redefined the baseline of educational services
  delivered to all students. This new baseline is the “level of service” upon which
  special education modifications are to be taken from during the period of distance
  learning and remote learning.
• Special education expectation is that student accommodations are to be
  delivered, with appropriate modifications due to new modalities and new baseline
  of general services and the understanding the services provided will be delivered
  to the extent possible based on our current environment and ever-changing
  conditions.
• District ESLS staff have developed new and/or enhanced courses, available in
  Canvas, with resources and curriculum for school staff and families to deliver
  instruction and support student learning. We have also created online social
  networking groups (Yammer) to connect teachers and staff across the district,
  which has resulted in the exchanging of ideas, resources and support.
• Curriculum vendors have expanded and enhanced their online access to ensure
  our students and families can support student learning.
• Further information is at https://www.browardschools.com/learningnevercloses

"Distance learning" is generally understood to refer to situations in which the student
learns remotely -- that is, the student and instructor are in different locations. It may
incorporate both online and off-line options, such as instruction via conventional phone
calls.
As is true when traditional school in buildings is in session, it is the teachers’ discretion
to determine the methodology or way instruction is provided to the students in their
classrooms. Likewise, in the virtual classroom, all teachers determine how their instruction will be provided. Teachers are utilizing a variety of tools and methodologies to support the teaching and learning process. One of these tools that some teachers are utilizing is videoconferencing. Not all teachers have elected to use this methodology to deliver instruction to their student. There is more than one way to
provide instruction to students while traditional schools are closed. 

The Broward Teachers Union and The School Board of Broward County Public Schools
signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 17, 2020. This memorandum states
that a teacher has to interact via email, telephone, or through Canvas, no less than
three (3) hours per day during their regular work hours.

Yes, school staff can use Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Canvas as means to
communicate.