“Connecting the Dots” is an online C to B transition training, developed by the North Central Regional Resource Center and the Iowa Department of Education. This training is designed to assist Service Coordinators, LEA staff, and parents in understanding aspects of early childhood transition, including: IDEA 2004, State Policies and Procedures, Roles and Responsibilities, Recommended Practices, Relationships with Families, and Iowa-specific transition information. The NCRRC conducted its first training with Iowa personnel last week. If you would like more information on this web-based training please contact Ann Bailey at
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State Performance Plans and Data Reporting
SPP Directory The SPP Directory functions as a virtual workspace for those who work with SPPs, allowing for collaboration and networking. It is designed to serve as a Community of Practice Sharing and Work Space in which States in Region 4 are able to be in contact with each other relative to specific indicators. Users can search for contact information of state personnel responsible for each indicator in the SPP for each state in Region 4. Users can also post specific tools, strategies, and documents developed for the various indicators to the Directory. In addition to searching and posting information, users can create, edit, and save documents on the Directory. This allows multiple users to work on a document collaboratively from remote sites. The Directory has three main components: Contacts, Documents Library, and Discussion. Each is divided into two categories; Part B and Part C. The Part C section of each is still in development. The Contacts Section and the Documents Library Section allow the user to filter by indicator. The Documents Library will also allow the user to filter by indicator and within each indicator the user can filter by state. The Discussion Section allows users to post comments and questions relative to the indicators and general SPP items. If you would like more information or log-in information, please contact
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Icons and Metaphors - Data Representation in Dashboard Format Icons and Metaphors refers to a means for public reporting beyond data profiles (i.e., one-pagers on topics, public meetings, briefs, etc.). Dashboards permit the dynamic representation and comparison of the core data in an intuitive manner. Sample dashboards created by the NCRRC for Part B and C reporting are available at the above link. Login information is required, and can be obtained by contacting
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Director's Quarterly Meeting: January 2006 The purpose of this newsletter was to serve as a communication brief for State Directors of Special Education and Part C Lead Agency (LA) Coordinators in Region 4, in order to keep Directors and LA Coordinators informed of NCRRC’s technical assistance and information dissemination activities regionally and nationally. The above issue of this quarterly newsletter focuses largely on activities by the NCRRC in the year 2005.
2005 Medicaid Report - Final Version With increasing costs in serving children and youths with disabilities, many states have sought alternate means of funding, including Medicaid funding options. The North Central Regional Resource Center and National Alliance for Medicaid in Education conducted a national survey to obtain information about Medicaid billing policies and practices in relation to the provision of special education services. This survey originated from a discussion of needs identified in 2005 by the Region 4 Medicaid Workgroup, which consisted of state-level special education and Medicaid administrators and specialists representing the 9 states served by the NCRRC in Region 4. The survey and accompanying analysis falls into four main categories: (1) determining the extent to which states are accessing Medicaid funds, (2) assessing the effects and impact of the Oklahoma “free care” decision, (3) ascertaining how Medicaid billing for special education services is tracked, and (4) identifying best practices that can be shared by states. Each question is addressed its particular section.
