News : 'Vision Services:' Study group offers new name, mission for Iowa Braille School

Of all the recommendations initially approved by the study group given the responsibility of guiding the future of the Iowa Braille and Sight-Saving School, perhaps the last of the eight suggestions is the most significant; Changing the name of the historic facility from the Iowa Braille School to Iowa Vision Services.

Recommendation 8: Change the name of the organization to Iowa Vision Services.

In the light of the foregoing recommendations, it is right to correctly identify the scope of these new recommendations through the name used to identify the array of services...The name of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School has historical value but fails to convey the array of services that are offered from the Vinton Campus," reads the recommendation, which goes on to give the new name for the campus as Iowa Vision Services.

"This name will come to represent the full array of services offered for families, children and youth who are blind or visually impaired with additional disabilities within the state," according to the recommendation.

Despite the efforts of local leaders and Iowa Braille and Sight-Saving School leaders and supporters, the ending of the residential program at IBSSS became one step closer on Thursday when the study group tentatively approved eight recommendations, including ending the residential program at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

Rep. Dawn Pettengill, who has resisted efforts to close IBSSS for several years, attended the meeting in Des Moines where the proposal was announced.

She says she is concerned that the changes will not have the result of providing services as good as the ones currently provided at IBSSS. Also, she said, 40 of the 65 jobs at the institution could be eliminated with the changes.

Read more about the proposed changes and hear from local education leaders who think this is the time for these changes, this week in Vinton Today.

Below is the complete list of recommendations:

Board of Regents Study Committee on residential services and facility utilization at Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School

The 2010 legislative session directed the Iowa Board of Regents to conduct a study toexamine possible changes to and make recommendations regarding the current structure for providing residential services on the campus of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School (IBSSS) andto make recommendations regarding appropriate facilities andfacility utilization. The study also called for the examination of potential partnerships with other state agencies as well as private providers of residential services. The study was undertaken by a group of twenty-five appointed members representing parents of children who are blind or visually impaired, constituent organizations, Board of Regents member and staff, attorney advocates, leaders of State, AEA, local district and Statewide System for Vision Services personnel. The group conducted a thorough review of the information and issues which led to the recommendations being presented to the Board of Regents for their consideration.

Significant educational and social changes have occurred since the 1960s when IBSSS was the primary service model for students who were blind or visually impaired. At one time special education meant going to a “place” to receive what one needed. It is now understood and accepted that special education is about “services” to meet the needs of the individual and no longer is dependent upon a place for the provision of those services. Children and youth are to receive what they need in the environment that is closest to their peers without disabilities to the greatest extent possible. These changes in beliefs and models have led to societal expectations that children should receive what is required from public education while being able to stay in their local school.

The Statewide System for Vision Services is an educational organization charged with providing equitable access to high quality vision services throughout the state. The determination for a residential component is based on the need to provide intense services to students who do not reside where they can access IBSSS on a day student basis. If more intense services are provided throughout the state, the educational mission of the Statewide System can be met, eliminating or greatly diminishing the need for a residential component to meet the expanded core curricular needs of students.

The population needing the residential component at IBSSS has changed both in numbers and needs. Students who once required the services at IBSSS are now predominately being served in their local districts with the support of Area Education Agency and Statewide System for Vision Services personnel. Services once only available at IBSSS are now more readily available throughout the state. Enrollment has also significantly changed. During the last five years the enrollment went from thirty-four campus based students to seven students projected for 2010-11.

With the declining enrollments has come an increase in cost per student to maintain the full spectrum of support for the residential component. During the last five years the cost per student for the residential program has gone from $107,549 to $246,341. It is understood the cost of educating low incident student populations is significant. However the limitation of resources is preventing enhancing services to the full array of students in the state.

Recommendations of the Board of Regents Study Committee on residential services and facility utilization at Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School

The interrelationship of the following recommendations requires a review and consideration of them as a whole and not as an individual stand alone recommendation.

Recommendation 1– Provide services as near to student’s home as possible.

Based upon parent preference for services to be provided as near to their home as possible, services that require a residential component shall be decentralizedfrom the campus at Iowa Braille School and provided in regions of the state closer to the students.

Build a Model - The rationale for moving away from traditional based residential services to a new model of services is based on parent choice and preference, resource allocation and continued declining enrollment with the traditional model. The cost and enrollment factors makes this an opportune time to design the delivery system in a manner that meets current and future student needs and parental preference. Students educational needs should be provided within their natural environments and their individual educational plan should allow those services to be brought to the environment rather than locating the student at a place.

Parent surveys conducted in 2005 and 2010 reflect a strong preference for services to be provided near to where students reside. Although parents reported being open to possible use of the residential program in the future the preference was clearly for services geographically near where they reside. Location, specific needs of their child and IEP team recommendations were identified as key factors in decision making.

TheIowa Rules of Special Education states on the issue of least restrictive environment that “to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the eligible individual, special education and related services shall be designed and delivered so as to maintain the individual in the general education environment….”

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the federal legislation governing special education services, addresses the issue of parent engagement in the decision making process for education placement through: Sec. 300.327 Educational placements. Consistent with Sec. 300.501(c), each public agency must ensure that the parents of each child with a disability are members of any group that makes decisions on the educational placement of their child.

The current program at IBSSS is not the program of the past. In the past the size of the population allowed for a full range of core curricular and extra curricular programs and activities on the campus. Additionally the population needing a residential component has changed from students whose needs were due to being blind to those with significant additional disabilities. Students are at IBSSS because of the multiplicity of their needs and the need for more intensity of instruction then what is currently feasible in the local communities. Therefore, the key question is whether the school should be the provider of services that include a residential component when the student’s primary disability is other than vision.

There are other programs, including residential programs that can meet the needs of students with multiple disabilities. Students that are attending IBSSS because of the need for greater intensity can be served in their quadrant of the state by reallocating financial and personnel resources. A detailed transition plan shall be developed for each student with the goal of transitioning all students by the fall of 2012.

Recommendation 2- Resources dedicated to the current year-long residential services shall be dedicated to building the capacity within the System to strengthen the intensity of services in each quadrant of the state through two mechanisms:

1. The employment of additional Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Orientation and Mobility Specialists and Special Education Consultants.

2. Short Term “Magnet” Opportunities

Resources shall be dedicated to the creation and delivery of additional short term magnet learning opportunities for students in quadrants of the state (weekend, week-long, summer) in the areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) including the need for intense instruction in Braille and the opportunity for socialization and skill development with other studenst who are blind and visually impaired. The Statewide System has in place a model for the delivery of short term services.

Recommendation 3 - Partner with other providers for the provision of residential services.

If a residential component is necessary to meet the student’s educational need, that the Statewide System shall partnerwith other residential providers for the provision of the service while the Statewide System utilizes financial and personnel resources to ensure a level of vision expertise with the partner agencies.

Rationale - Residential services vary in levels of intensity according to the needs of the individuals. Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICFMR) provide a level of care that address the physical, emotional, cognitive and medical needs of individuals and such facilities currently exist across the state. Waiver homes provide residential services for individuals who do not require an ICFMR level of care. These facilities are potential partners for students with visual disabilities and additional disabilities and can provide for those services while the Statewide System for Vision Services provides the students with the services outlined on the student’s individual educational program.

Recommendation 4- Provide intensive expanded core curriculum short term programs regionally by partnering with other programs within the state.

Students whose main disability is vision need services which provide intense expanded core curriculum work. It is likely that the number of these students will vary each year. Most needs can be met either with intensive extended year services that would be created as the need arises or developed regionally rather than having one fixed site within the state.

Recommendation 5- Build a Home (long term solution if demonstrated need is documented)

The Statewide System shall further study and if needed build the capacity within the state for potential educational needs that require a residential component. This plan begins with the development of a waiver home in the geographic center of the state to meet the needs of four to five individuals who require a residential component to their program for a time period of six months to two years. A waiver home would provide for the home like environment for youth while partnering with the local school district and the Statewide System for the provision of an intensive educational program. The Statewide System will work in collaboration with other providers and the State Department of Human Services in the development of this home and in accessing additional resources to support the model.

Vinton Facility Recommendation

Recommendation 6 – Continue use of the Vinton campus as the center for the Statewide System for Vision Services.

This facility recommendation is based in part on having a facility for utilization with short term programs for students for this region of the state. The site will serve as the center for consultation, assistive technology, low vision and administrative services.

The Vinton site will continue to operate in partnership with AmeriCorps NCCC programs with lease revenue to be used to offset a substantial portion of the costs to operate the facility. This is the beginning of the third year of a five year contract with AmeriCorps and facility utilization should be examined with the end of the five year contract period.

Recommendation 7- Seek additional lessees for up to two thirds of the Old Main building on the Vinton campus.

Additional space is or will shall be made available for lease and the lease income shall be used to offset the cost of operation of the campus. The lease of additional space will also have a potential economic benefit to the community.

Recommendation 8 – Change name of the organization to Iowa Vision Services

In light of the foregoing recommendations, it is right to correctly identify the scope of these new recommendations through the name used to identify the array of services. Currently the services to students throughout the state are identified as the Statewide System for Vision Services and the residential program and campus in Vinton is the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School. The name Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School has historical value but fails to convey the array of services that are offered from the Vinton Campus.

It is recommended that the Statewide System for Vision Services and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School be identified as Iowa Vision Services (IVS) as this name will come to represent the full array of services offered for families, children and youth who are blind or visually impaired and with additional disabilities within the state.

Summary of Recommendation

1. Provide services as near to student’s home as possible.
2. Reallocate resources dedicated to the current year long residential services to building the capacity within the system to strengthen the intensity of services in each quadrant of the state through two mechanisms:
   1. The employment of additional professional personnel for services to students.
   2. The development and implementation of Short Term “Magnet” Opportunities
3. Partner with other providers for the provision of residential services.
4. Provide intensive expanded core curriculum short term programs regionally by partnering with other programs within the state.
5. Build a Waiver Home (long term solution if demonstrated need is documented)
6. Continue use of the Vinton campus as the center for the Statewide System for Vision Services
7. Seek additional lessees for up to two thirds of the Old Main building on the Vinton campus
8. Change name of the organization to Iowa Vision Services.

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Reader Comment

I am currently a teacher of visually impaired students in Montana. I started my career at Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School. I was saddened to read your article. As an teacher in public schools I have too many students to meet all of their needs. Equipment is expensive for the public schools also and the students suffer. As a teacher of Braille and Orientation and Mobility I still consider myself lucky to have our state school and I know the parents are happy to have their students part time at each facility. Parents always need the option of the residential school. Don't take that away from the parents of blind children in the state of Iowa.