Special Ed quarterly reports
Under HF2612, we’re required to send districts a quarterly report summarizing the special education services they received. These reports went out on October 30, so you may get questions from schools. This first-quarter report used only ACHIEVE data; Harvest data is still being refined and isn’t included yet.
Missed timelines
The Department of Education (DE) tracks whether we meet timelines set by IDEA for Early ACCESS and Special Education evaluations. Our goal is to meet 100% of these timelines, though rare situations may cause delays. If you anticipate missing a deadline, please inform your RA in advance to explore solutions.
Family validation
Please complete all family validations for your roster. Here are resources to help finish up:
- Family Contact Validation Training Video for AEA Staff
- Family Contact Validation Training Slides for AEA Staff
- Iowa IDEA Parent Guidelines
- User Guide – ACHIEVE Family Contact Validation
- Example Scripts for Family Contact Validation
Some teachers can’t finalize IEPs because family validation isn’t complete and districts haven’t provided guidance. Below are resources sent to districts. If you have a connection with the principal in your building, feel free to share these; if you encounter any resistance, let your RA know.
- Parent Validation FAQ
- Parent Portal FAQ
- Training Resources
- New ACHIEVE website (to house resources)
Foster parent roles
We received clarification that foster parents with court-assigned education rights still need to be appointed as a surrogate to serve as the parent for IDEA purposes. Court-assigned rights typically apply to general school decisions like registration and attendance. Refer to our CRAEA surrogate parent process for more details.
Legacy IEPs in ACHIEVE
We’re now able to rename Legacy IEP PDFs in ACHIEVE. Data techs are working on this, but if you’re in an IEP and have time, please rename them using this format: Legacy IEP [Date] Annual Review (e.g., Legacy IEP 12.12.20 Annual Review).
Preschool status
There’s been confusion around full-time vs. part-time status for preschoolers with IEPs. According to the Department of Education, “full-time” applies to preschoolers attending 20+ hours per week; under 20 hours is considered part-time. We’ll provide training on documenting this and resources to support PK teachers. For support-only preschoolers, the roster will always show full-time, as it doesn’t impact district funding.
Roster changes
To transfer students in ACHIEVE when they switch teachers, buildings, or districts, the facilitator can update the roster, but the new facilitator should review and update all activities and services right away. Central Rivers AEA will send rosters in fall and spring for review and cleanup. Facilitators are encouraged to manage roster changes directly between these clean-up times. Please avoid submitting tickets for roster changes unless there’s a technical issue. For questions, contact your RA. This information will also be shared with LEA SE Directors in the November updates, due around November 15.
Weighting review requests
Thank you for adapting to the new IEP weighting review process! If your district asks for an IEP review, please include the student’s name, district, and date of birth for quicker processing.
Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.
- Special Education Updates
- Updates with CRAEA Special Education doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)