Educational Services for Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired (2000)

In 2000, the program review committee completed a study of the state's system for providing educational services to children who are blind or visually impaired. While local school districts have primary responsibility for providing special education to students with disabilities, the state Board of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB), also has a major role in providing education-related services and financial subsidies to children with visual impairments. The committee study found leadership for vision education in the state was lacking and roles were confused. In addition, state resources for vision education, which includes free teacher services and aid to districts totaling about $7.5 million per year, were unfairly and inefficiently distributed to students and districts.

To create an effective structure for providing quality educational services to children who are blind or visually impaired, the program review committee recommended a series of statutory and administrative changes. As the following table shows, two bills incorporating the committee's legislative recommendations were reintroduced for consideration during the 2002 regular session of the General Assembly. One, SB 354, which would clarify BESB's vision education mission and promoting collaboration with SDE, passed the Senate but failed to be acted on by the House before the close of the session. The second bill (SB 358), which would permit BESB to operate like a regional education service center and provide teachers of the visually impaired on a fee-for-service basis as well as create a new, more flexible vision education grant program, died in the Human Services Committee. Its provisions were incorporated in legislation raised by the program review committee for consideration in the 2003 regular session.

BESB and the state Department of Education (SDE) fully implemented four committee recommendations related to teacher availability, teacher training, and technical support for local districts during the first year following the report's release. Both agencies have taken additional steps in the past year towards compliance in the four remaining administrative recommendation areas as noted in the table.

Summary of Compliance with Committee Recommendations

Recommendation

Status

Comment

To strengthen leadership and clarify roles, amend statutes to:

  • articulate BESB's education services mission;
  • rename the agency "Connecticut Services for the Blind"
  • add SDE representative as ex officio member of advisory board
  • expand mission of Braille Literacy Advisory Council, change name to Advisory Council on Vision Education and add 2 members

None

Bill incorporating recommendations reintroduced in 2002 session (SB 354); passed Senate but not acted on in House

To redirect funding to support vision education goals and increase access to services, amend statutes to:

  • authorize BESB to provide teachers on a fee-for-service basis and to establish a self-sustaining account for related revenues and expenses;
  • repeal current per-child funding provisions and replace with grant program that is

    _ funded at $6,400 times number of blind and visually impaired children;

    _ first provides eligible children with vision-related disabilities with all specialized instructional materials required to access educational program;

    _ then uses any remaining balance for supplemental funding to districts in proportion to their costs of TVIs and related vision education services; and

    _ require BESB in consultation with SDE to develop formula and description of all eligible expenses.

Use state funds formerly allocated for teacher costs to augment central resources and support

None

Bill incorporating recommendations reintroduced for consideration in 2002 session (SB 358) died in Human Services Committee; similar bill raised by program review committee in 2003 session

BESB pursue contract revisions to ensure 12-month availability of teachers

Partial

New collective bargaining agreement allows teachers to work up to 5 days over summer; initial visits provided to all new referrals and various services available in summer months

SDE in consultation with BESB conduct long-range personnel needs assessment

Partial

Still no formal assessment of long-range needs; SDE monitors teacher hiring patterns; BESB conducted TVI retirement survey, developed caseload formula for assigning/ estimating teacher resources

SDE in consultation with BESB establish, monitor and report on outcome measures for vision education services; include outcome measures in SDE annual special education report

Partial

Blind/visually impaired students still included in SDE general special education monitoring; no separate reporting on student assessments; BESB completed high school graduation follow-up project;

BESB complete strategic plan, which include above outcome measures, by 7/01/01 and update annually

Partial

Final draft circulated to BESB staff 12/02; children's services structure, programs and outcome measures not specifically addressed; abandoned initiative re new Learning and Life Skills Division due to layoffs, budget cuts, organizational uncertainty