Informational (no action required by Board) Action Report (Board will be required to take action) DATE: August 26, 2015 FROM: Dr. Larry Nyland, Superintendent LEAD STAFF: Wyeth Jessee, Executive Director Special Education

206-252-0067

I. TITLE Approval of Consulting Services for Special Education Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)

For Introduction: September 23, 2015 For Action: October 7, 2015

II. WHY BOARD ACTION IS NECESSARY

Per Board Policy No. 6220, Procurement, contracts, in excess of $250,000, require School Board approval.

III. FISCAL IMPACT/REVENUE SOURCE Fiscal impact to this action will be $500,000. The revenue source for this motion is general fund. A one-time contingency request was approved on 8/26/15. Expenditure: One-time Annual Other Source

IV. POLICY IMPLICATION Per Policy No.6220, Procurement, contracts over $250,000 require Board approval.

V. RECOMMENDED MOTION I move that the Superintendent be authorized to enter into a contract with the Seneca Family of Agencies (Seneca) for $500,000 to act as a Special Education - Educational Consultant to perform the scope of work described in the Request for Proposal RFP06584 in order to support the Seattle Public Schools Special Education department in meeting the goals of the MOU with OSPI, with any minor additions, deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the Superintendent, and to take any necessary actions to implement the contracts.

VI. BOARD COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION This motion was discussed at the Executive Committee meeting on September 17, 2015. The Committee reviewed the motion and moved the item forward to the full Board with a recommendation for approval.

School Board Briefing/Proposed Action Report

VII. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Part of the 2013-2014 revised Comprehensive Corrective Action Plan (C-CAP), submitted to the state and approved by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), was to contract with a nationally known educational consultant group in order to successfully complete the (C-CAP). The District contracted with Seneca Family of Agencies to undertake the next steps as directed by the Revised Comprehensive Corrective Action Plan (RC-CAP). The RC-CAP was approved by the board on September 3, 2014. As of June 1, 2015 all 40 activities and outcomes listed in the RC-CAP were completed. A final RC-CAP quarterly report was not submitted to OSPI due to the agreement between SPS and OSPI to replace the RC-CAP as the primary source document to determine substantial compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, (IDEA) and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 8, 2015. The MOU was entered into by OSPI and SPS in order to establish Evidence Standards and reporting requirements for actions that have been taken by SPS to bring SPS into substantial compliance with the IDEA and to establish criteria associated with the intention of releasing the IDEA funds withheld from SPS during the 2014-15 school year and to replace the RC-CAP as the primary source document for determining the District’s substantial compliance with IDEA by OSPI. During the term of the MOU, OSPI will continue to designate SPS as a “high risk” grantee. The modified special conditions on IDEA Part B funds will require SPS to submit documentation that will be verified by OSPI as a result of on-site verification visits on mutually agreed upon dates to determine achievement of the MOU’s Evidence Standards in Central Office Operations and Regional Service Delivery Evidence Standards through July, 2016. On June 29, 2015, The District issued a public advertisement (and notified 13 firms directly) for Request for Proposal No. RFP06584 for Consulting services for Seattle Public Schools’ Special Education Department’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). On July 16, 2015, the District received two proposals. As a result of the evaluation, the Selection Committee, made up of a team of Special Education Department staff members and a project manager from the Project Management Office determined that based on the evaluation criteria Seneca Family of Agencies was the best fit to complete the District’s project needs.

VIII. STATEMENT OF ISSUE Whether to approve the attached Personal Services Contract and statement of work to support the Special Education Department on its compliance with the MOU, as approved by OSPI, with a deadline of July 2016. An Interim Contract is being drawn up to cover the gap time between this contract and last year’s contract. A separate personal services contract is being drafted in the amount of $25,000.00 to cover the period between September 30, 2015 and October 16, 2015. It is necessary to continue with the work of these consultants in order to meet the timelines that OSPI has established. This larger contract could not be processed earlier due to the signing timeline of the MOU. The Interim contract conforms to Superintendent Procedure 6220SP.H which states: “From time to time, the District elects to engage a consulting or construction firm under an interim contract. This is typically done when project deadlines make it imperative to start work before School Board approval of the primary contract can be obtained. The

contract is for a small amount for services over a short period of time. Under no circumstances shall the interim contract commit the District to use the contractor for the primary contract without the requisite Board or senior management approval.”

IX. ALTERNATIVES

Not continuing to contract with an outside national consultant firm may result in not meeting the Evidence Standards of the MOU and risk non-release of a portion of the $3,000,000 IDEA Part B funding that was withheld from SPS during the 2014-15 school year. This motion would support the verification of implementation in Central Office Operations and Regional Service Delivery Systems Evidence Standards that must be met as outlined in the MOU before withheld funds are released.

These services are to be used for support and consultation to achieve verification of each Evidence Standard within the MOU and technical assistance in the area of strengthening special education service delivery. This work will build on the special education systems developed during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years including activities of the RC-CAP in order to implement consistent, sustainable systems in Special Education Regional Service Delivery and Central Office Operations. This will support ongoing compliance with IDEA and effective service delivery for students with disabilities district wide.

X. RESEARCH AND DATA SOURCES / BENCHMARKS Research and Benchmarks included comparison of other national consultation projects for Urban Special Education change and improvement initiatives, including those that were the result of state agency corrective action requirements or court consent decree requirements. Specific Benchmarks are also outlined specifically in the MOU’s required Evidence Standards.

XI. TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION / COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Upon approval of this motion, the Personal Services Contract with this consultant group will be put in place for the 2015-2016 school year and will work with the District's special education department to meet the July 2016 deadline for meeting all MOU criteria and outcome goals.

XII. ATTACHMENTS

• Seneca Family of Agencies Agreement (Draft) • RFP No. RFP06584 • MOU with OSPI • Personal Services Contract with Seneca Family of Agencies