2020-21 PATINS AEMing for Achievement Grant Opportunity for FIRST Year School Corporations!
 Deadline to apply - July 31, 2020, Midnight.  
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Introduction
NOTE - the following information is identical to the info found on the PATINS website (http://bit.ly/AEMGrant)

NOTE - this year PATINS will be accepting up to 10 previous AEMing for Achievement Teams, for deeper, continued, and more collaborative work, AND up to 5 new AEMing for Achievement Teams!

Bring your District into compliance AND improve student outcomes by joining the fun, growing, and highly successful AEMing for Achievement school districts of Indiana!

The application process closes July 31, 2020 at midnight and you can expect to be notified by August 6th of the status of your application.  IF selected, you’ll be required to attend the AEM Orientation Day, most likely virtually, on August 20, 2020.  

 
Benefits of Participation if selected as a 2020-21 PATINS AEM Team:

1. Intensive, but friendly, and direct assistance bringing your district into full compliance with the requirement to determine a process to provide Accessible Educational Materials including need, acquisition, implementation and data collection for the purpose of increasing student achievement, through the lens of Universal Design for Learning.    
                                                             
2. A dedicated weekly PATINS Specialist meeting with your district, in-person, online, or by phone conference for the rest of this grant cycle (school year). This may include help in identifying needs, building your action plan, training, supporting Digital Rights Managers in your district, identifying weaker areas and implementing your plan of action to improve access for all students!  Meetings may be held more often if needed.

3. Focused assistance and guidance provided for students identified as benefiting from reading accommodations in 2 primary ways. First, in ensuring your district is in compliance with the OSEP vetted Quality Indicators for providing Accessible Instructional Materials from the National Center for AEM. Second, in assisting your staff with the collection and analysis of data to guide accommodations and to demonstrate growth and guide further accommodations in the most appropriate and beneficial ways.

4. COMMUNICATION Device/System ASSISTANCE: Each of the selected AEM Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will be able to submit at least one application for specialized assistance with finding the right communication device or system for a student with more intensive needs AND financial assistance in order to obtain the communication device determined to be the most appropriate.

5. Complimentary registrations to PATINS 2020 "Access to Education" State Conference for 2 of your AEM Team Members, to assist with jumpstarting new ideas for increasing accessibility & Universal Design in your district and networking with other professionals. More information about the Access to Education Conference can be found on our website (http://bit.ly/patinsA2E)

6. Paid access to the Universal Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (uPAR), Co:Writer, and also Snap&Read Software for ALL of your school district's buildings!  Plus, direct training and support on using these valuable tools. Read more about uPAR and Snap&Read on the Don Johnston website (https://learningtools.donjohnston.com/product/upar/) (https://learningtools.donjohnston.com/product/snap-read/)

7. On-Going Collaboration: Indiana has also been identified by the National Center for AEM at CAST as 1 of 8 states exemplifying best AEM-related practices. Each of these states will have the opportunity to participate in an ongoing collaboration with the other 7 states.  Select PATINS AEMing for Achievement Districts will also have the opportunity to engage in on-going collaborative with the brand new National CITES Center (Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems) also through CAST, which is focused on Developing Comprehensive & Sustainable Systems for the Effective Use of Assistive Technology (AT) & Instructional Technology (IT)/Educational Technology (EdTech) with other school districts around the country!


Requirements of Selected LEAs:

Up to 15 public K-12 (LEAs) will be selected during this 2020-2021 school year to participate, up to 10 of which may be former recipients of the AEMing for Achievement Grant, participating as Year 2 or Year 3 Cohort teams.  Previous AEM teams may apply for the simultaneous benefit of increased collaboration efforts with new AEM grant recipients and as an opportunity for our previous teams to delve deeper and create a stronger sustainability and more rich culture change.

Each of the Indiana LEA's that are selected will be required to assemble an AEMing for Achievement-UDL Coordinating Committee (AEMUCC).  PATINS will designate Specialist staff to work collaboratively with the AEMUCC.  All committee members should be strongly committed to devising a detailed plan and to fulfilling the goals of that plan, including, but not limited to, three mandatory all-state meetings and weekly AEMUCC meetings with their designated PATINS Specialist.

Committee members should consist of an administrator, special education staff, general education staff, Digital Rights Manager (DRM), technology staff, and related service personnel, but may include other advisors such as students and parents if desired and beneficial. We require a minimum of 4, but we strongly recommend 5-7 committee members as a dedicated core group to begin with, based on the success rate of past years' teams.

• LEA Administrator (Required)
• Special Educator Director or designee  (Required)
• Special Education Teacher (Required)
• General Education Teacher (Required)
• IT Staff (Required)
• Digital Rights Manager (Required)
• Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired
• Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Curriculum Staff
• Related Services Staff

These designated personnel in LEAs selected agree to:

1. Convene and sustain a District AEM-UDL Coordinating Committee (AEMUCC).

2. Attend 3 required meetings. At least 2 team members required at each event; however, all team members are highly encouraged:
 - Introductory in-person training/Orientation Day on August 20, 2020, most likely virtually.
 - A Mid-Year Online Gathering on January 21, 2021
 - In-Person Collaboration Day on May 13, 2021 in Indianapolis

3. Develop an Action Plan based upon an AEM-UDL needs assessment with PATINS staff assistance and implement the activities in the plan.

4. Collect and analyze formative and summative data on systemic effectiveness  and document an informal Case Study on at least 2 students.

5. Participate in regularly scheduled teleconferences and meetings with assigned PATINS Specialists.

6. Provide data on the impact of this AEMing for Achievement Grant on the development of the LEA system and provide at least 2 Universally Designed Lesson Plans utilizing the PATINS UDL Lesson Creator, with PATINS staff assistance.

7. Designate and/or update/increase the number of DRMs (Digital Rights Managers) in the district.  

Formal Grant Purpose & Additional Details:

The intensive technical assistance and guidance provided through this grant opportunity will help your district more accurately identify students who need reading accommodations and more specifically, accommodations from which they receive the most benefit. This is grounded largely within the national movement toward "Accessible Educational Materials" (AEM) in all learning environments and increased federal focus on student achievement and outcome data.  More on the 7 AIM Indicators can be found on the CAST website (http://aem.cast.org/policies/lea-actions-quality-indicators.html#.XQFje29KgW8).

PATINS provides this guidance, technical assistance and access to uPAR, Co:Writer, and Snap&Read at no cost to your district until, at the very least, June 30, 2021. Your entire LEA will have access to uPAR, Co:Writer, and Snap&Read for at least a full calendar year from the date of issue.
 
The formal purpose of this grant opportunity is to assist Indiana Public K12 LEAs in providing Accessible Educational Materials (AEM), which are specialized formats of print-based instructional materials, to students with print disabilities AND identifying students who require reading accommodations and which reading accommodations that are best for them individually. This is all provided through the working framework of Universal Design for Learning. Working closely with LEA representatives, PATINS staff will offer guidance on developing, improving and sustaining an effective and efficient system for providing AEM and Assistive Technology (AT) as needed, in a timely manner and in compliance with the IDEA reauthorization of 2004, ESSA, and the Dec. 2015 OSEP Dear Colleague Letter and the recently revised Indiana Article 7.

Intensive and focused assistance from the PATINS Project/Indiana Center for Accessible Materials (ICAM) will be very LEA-focused and will proceed in accordance with an individualized Action Plan collaboratively developed and agreed upon by the LEA’s AEMUCC and the PATINS designated staff. Assistance will be provided to the LEA personnel involved in the provision of Accessible Educational Materials for students with qualifying print disabilities.
LEAs interested in this opportunity should COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION BY midnight EST July 31, 2020.
 
All Public K-12 Indiana Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), including former AEMing for Achievement grant teams, are welcome to apply and the selection of LEAs will be based on the information included in the application.  Please note that applications SHOULD be submitted by a single public school district, not a special education cooperative or other organization.  However, special education cooperatives are certainly encouraged to be a part of a district LEA team!

Check out just a few previous AEM team success stories here! http://bit.ly/PATINSAEMsuccesses
School District submitting this application *
As the LEA Administrator, Director of Special Education, or the appointed Designee to lead the AEMing for Achievement Plan for the District, I support this application for intensive and focused UDL, AEM & AT assistance and guidance from PATINS ICAM.
First Name *
Last Name *
Email Address *
Title/Position *
School District / Cooperative / Agency *
Street Address *
City/Town *
State *
Zip Code *
If Designee, please provide the name of your LEA Administrator:
If Designee, Email Address of your LEA Administrator:
If Designee, Phone Number of your LEA Administrator:
Potential AEMUCC Membership Information
Please complete the following information regarding the representatives on the AEMCC. Personnel in these roles on the AEMCC are expected to be actively involved in development and implementation of the Action Plan. The number of committee members is determined by the LEA, with a minimum of 4.  1 of the 4 members must be an administrator.  
Name 1 *
Role on committee 1 *
eMail 1 *
School 1 *
Currently involved in AEM? Yes or No 1 *
Proposed Committee Member #2
Name 2 *
eMail 2 *
Role on Committee 2 *
School 2 *
Currently involved in AEM? Yes or No 2 *
Proposed Committee Member #3
Name 3 *
eMail 3 *
Role on Committee 3 *
School 3 *
Currently involved in AEM? Yes or No 3 *
Proposed Committee Member #4
Name 4 *
eMail 4 *
Role on Committee 4 *
School 4 *
Currently involved in AEM? Yes or No 4 *
 Current Status of LEA System(s) for the provision of AEM
Please describe the current status of system(s) within your LEA according to each of the 7 QUALITY INDICATORS for the provision of AEM which were validated by the AEM Consortium in 2008. For each QUALITY INDICATOR, select the option that most closely describes your district's current status.
INDICATOR #1: The education agency supports the provision of appropriate, high-quality instructional materials in specialized formats to all students with print disabilities who require them. *
INTENT: Provision of instructional materials in specialized formats is required by IDEA 2004 and Indiana's special education rules (Article 7) and is based on the unique needs of students with print disabilities. No student with a print disability is denied needed specialized formats for any reason.   System for the provision of AIM to all students who require them for educational participation and achievement are:
INDICATOR #2: The education agency supports the provision of appropriate specialized formats in a timely manner. *
INTENT: IDEA requires states to define "timely manner". The Indiana Department of Education has defined "timely manner" as that a public agency will take all reasonable steps to ensure that students who need print instructional materials in accessible formats are provided those materials at the same time as other students receive instructional materials. Reasonable steps would not include withholding print instructional materials from other students until print instructional materials in accessible formats are available.  Provision of specialized formats in a timely manner is:
INDICATOR #3: The education agency develops and implements written guidelines to define the responsibilities and actions needed for effective and efficient provision of specialized formats. *
INTENT: Written guidelines identify the roles of all responsible parties and the knowledge, skills, actions, alignment and coordination required for delivery of specialized formats in a timely manner.  Written guidelines are:
INDICATOR #4: The education agency supports learning opportunities and technical assistance (e.g. professional development, training, and support) to facilitate the identification of students with print disabilities, as well as the selection, acquisition, and use of appropriate specialized formats. *
INTENT: Learning opportunities are based on the needs of, and are readily available to, students, families, staff, and other stakeholders. Training and technical assistance include topics pertinent to the identification of students with print disabilities, as well as the selection, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional materials.  Learning opportunities and technical assistance are:
INDICATOR #5: The education agency develops and implements a systematic process to monitor and evaluate the equitable, timely provision of appropriate, high-quality materials in specialized formats. *
INTENT: Data is collected that measures the degree to which instructional materials in specialized formats are 1) provided to students with all types of print disabilities in an equitable manner, 2) provided at the same time as print formats, and 3) of quality sufficient to support appropriate instruction and achievement.  A systematic process is:
INDICATOR #6: The education agency uses data to guide changes that support continuous improvement in the selection, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional materials. *
INTENT: Data is systematically analyzed to gauge effectiveness of current practice and used to inform actions needed to improve future practice.  Use of data to guide changes is:
INDICATOR #7: The education agency allocates resources sufficient to ensure the delivery and sustainability of quality services to students with print disabilities. *
INTENT: Sufficient fiscal, human and infrastructure resources are committed to ensure that student needs are appropriately addressed ( e.g. identification, delivery of services, professional development, etc.)  Allocation of resources is:
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Describe/provide examples of how your LEA is aware of or has implemented the principles of a UDL Framework for ALL students, with and w/out Individualized Education Program (IEPs)? *
Assistive Technology (AT): Describe/provide examples of how your LEA is aware of or has implemented the principles of Assistive Technology for leveling the playing field for students with IEPs? *
Briefly describe the ways in which the district's current system addresses the provision of AEM. (a bulleted list is acceptable) *
Expected Outcomes and First Step(s)
What is/are the first step(s) the district anticipates taking toward expected change? *
What is the ultimate goal the district anticipates achieving in providing an accessible learning environment, including materials and what length of time does the district anticipate this could require? *
Does your district have at least one specific student in mind, at this point, for additional assistance related to an Augmentative/Alternative communication system and potential financial assistance in obtaining an AAC device?  If so, please BRIEFLY describe.
If selected initially, is your team committed to participating in a short virtual interview with PATINS in order to proceed? *
This 30 min or shorter interview will be used to move initially selected candidate teams into final selection process.  
I understand that... *
PATINS may follow up to conduct an interview with the proposed AEMUCC team to assist us in the final selection process. The person who is available in the summer to assist in setting up that interview with team members is: (Name, Phone, Email address):
If finally selected, is your team committed to: *
Sending at least 2 members to the virtual Orientation Day on August 20, 2020, meeting regularly online with your assigned PATINS staff, teleconference, and/or in-person to develop and implement an Action Plan, attend an ONLINE collaboration Jan. 21, 2021, and send at least 2 team members to Indianapolis (if in-person) or online (if virtual) to share a final report, case studies, and UDL Lesson Plans on the May 13, 2021 AEM Collaboration Day?    
Thank You for your interest in improving access and literacy for ALL students in your school corporation!
The application process closes July 31, 2020 at midnight and you can expect to be notified by August 6th of the status of your application.  IF selected, you’ll be required to attend the AEM Orientation Day, most likely virtually, on August 20, 2020.  

Once submitted, you will receive an email confirmation that includes your full application and all pertinent information within an hour.  If you do not receive this email, we have likely not received your application. Please contact me with questions: dmcnulty@patinsproject.org / 574-214-7065
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