1. Federal and State General Revenue 2002-03 Discretionary Projects

Florida Department of Education
Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services
Federal and State General Revenue
2002-03 Discretionary Projects
The following are projects funded during 2002-03 from federal or state general revenue sources. Many
of these projects are effective beginning July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003. Additional information
regarding the objectives, activities, or status of any of these proposed or funded projects may be
obtained from the designated Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services (BISCS)
contact person. New projects may be added during the year as needs are identified.
Accommodations and Modifications for Students with Disabilities.
To develop materials and
training for teachers to provide accommodations and modifications to the Sunshine State Standards to
allow students with disabilities to achieve at the highest level appropriate.
Fiscal agent:
Florida State University
Contact:
Lezlie Cline
Accountability/Assessment for Students with Disabilities.
To provide alternate assessment
initiatives for students with disabilities that are linked directly to Florida’s System of School
Improvement and Accountability.
Fiscal Agent:
Washington County School District on behalf of Panhandle Area Educational
Consortium (PAEC)
Contact:
Lezlie Cline
Alternate Assessment State Collection Initiative.
To support state-level collection of alternate
assessment data, analyses of the data, and production of student-, school-, district-, and state- level
reports.
Fiscal Agent:
University of Miami
Contact:
Karen Denbroeder
Alternative Schools/Public and Private Partnership Incentives Projects.
To support alternative
schools with public and private partnerships serving disruptive and low performing students in grades 6-
12 in the development and implementation of new and innovative strategies to improve student
performance.
Fiscal agent:
Orange, Sarasota, and Volusia County School Districts
Contact:
Roger Henry
Assistive Technology Educational Network (ATEN) Coordinating Unit (FDLRS Specialized
Center).
To promote, support, and coordinate statewide delivery of assistive technology services to
Florida’s students with disabilities.
Fiscal agent:
Seminole County School District
Contact:
Karen Morris
1

Assistive Technology Educational Network (ATEN) Regional Centers (FDLRS Associate
Centers).
To extend opportunities and support for consumers, educators, students, families, and
agency personnel to receive training and demonstration in the latest assistive technology and to provide
opportunities for individuals to gain awareness of assistive technology devices and services while
investigating information and on-line resources in preview labs.
Fiscal agents:
Broward, Hillsborough, Leon, St. Lucie, and Putnam County School Districts
Contact:
Karen Morris
Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)/Department of Education (DOE)
Partnership Activities.
To assist school districts in meeting their need for qualified teachers of
students with autism. Provides for regional CARD/DOE staff development activities, a pre-conference
day for teachers at the annual CARD conference and a mentoring program that pairs teachers with
CARD staff members.
Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida, Florida Mental Health Institute, and Department of Child
and Family Studies
Contact:
Mike Muldoon
Career Development and Transition.
To assist school districts in providing specialized instruction
and services to students with disabilities and to support the expansion of interagency collaboration in
order to help students achieve a more successful transition from school to adult and community living.
Fiscal agent:
University of Florida
Contact:
Janet Adams
Challenge Grant Program for the Gifted.
To (1) promote meaningful collaboration between gifted
students and teachers, and other students, colleagues, mentors, or agencies while investigating a
significant problem or issue; (2) support professional development, networking, and program
development activities in small and rural districts; and, (3) facilitate and disseminate information
regarding gifted programs in Florida school districts.
Fiscal agent:
TBD
Contact:
Donnajo Smith
Challenge Grant Working on Gifted Issues.
To develop strategies for optimizing the education of
gifted children, dissemination of working papers from the work groups and coordination of a statewide
conference to disseminate information to gifted educators in Florida. Also, to provide a continuum of
services to gifted students.
Fiscal agent:
Washington County School District on behalf of the Panhandle Area Educational
Consortium (PAEC)
Contact:
Donnajo Smith
Charter School Support, Assistance, and Training.
To provide statewide support for the
development and implementation of charter schools, with emphasis on the provision of appropriate
services to students with disabilities enrolled in charter schools.
2

Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida
Contact:
Iris Palazesi
Children’s Registry and Information System (CHRIS).
To expand and improve the capability of
CHRIS for use as a tracking, reporting, and planning tool for IDEA, Part B, Child Find Activities.
Fiscal agent:
University of Miami
Contact:
Rachael Spanjer
Communities in Schools of Florida, Inc.
To build the connection of community resources with
schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life.
Fiscal agent:
Communities in Schools of Florida, Inc.
Contact:
Michael Lisle
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Project.
To enhance Florida’s capacity to
increase the number of appropriately qualified teachers and related services personnel for students with
disabilities through the implementation of regional collaborative plans for personnel development.
Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida/St. Petersburg
Contact:
Michele Polland
Coordinated School Health Program Administrative Services Project.
To provide support for
technical assistance, project development, dissemination, and training related to initiatives for the
Coordinated School Health Program.
Fiscal agent:
Florida Atlantic University
Contact:
Lynda Kinard
Coordinated School Health Education Infrastructure Project.
To provide support and assistance
in carrying out the mandates of the Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and provide project development, dissemination, and training.
Fiscal agent:
Florida Department of Health
Contact:
Lynda Kinard
Critical Initiatives in Visual Impairments Project.
To support critical initiatives in visual impairments
including: (1) the use of low vision devices, follow-up on use of devices, and improvement of reading
fluency and (2) the implementation of a training initiative to assure that teachers of visually impaired have
dual training as orientation and mobility instructors.
Fiscal agent:
Florida State University
Contact:
Carla Brown
Curriculum Improvement Project.
To develop and produce
Parallel Alternative Strategies for
Students
(PASS) materials, which help teachers meet the needs of at-risk students, students with
learning disabilities, and those with diverse learning needs who are seeking a standard diploma.
Fiscal agent:
Leon County School District
Contact:
Arlene Duncan
3

4

Educational Interpreters Project.
To provide statewide training on communication skills for
individuals working with students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and to develop an evaluation and
certification process.
Fiscal agent:
Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB)
Contact:
Lezlie Cline
Effective Instructional Practices.
To identify and make available to school districts successful
educational practices, including developing a “core” database of effective instructional practices,
identifying criteria for determining effective instructional practices and then procedures for determining
effective instructional practices, identifying trainers for all effective models determined, and providing
data on student progress as a result of implementing each effective instructional practice.
Fiscal agent:
University of Central Florida
Contact:
Paul Gallaher
Exceptional Student Education Administrative Services.
To provide flexibility in accessing
resources for the provision of improved management, implementation, and evaluation in areas of Bureau
initiatives.
Fiscal agents:
Florida Atlantic University and Washington County School District on behalf of PAEC
Contact:
Virginia Sasser
Exceptional Student Education Professional Development Partnerships.
To enhance Florida’s
capacity to increase the number of appropriately qualified teachers providing services to students with
disabilities through the implementation of regional collaborative partnerships between local schools,
districts, and their allied colleges and universities.
Fiscal agents:
State University System institutions
Contact:
Michele Polland
Exceptional Student Education Program Evaluation Project.
The project’s purpose is to enhance,
modify and support the system of the monitoring and evaluation of exceptional student education
programs; to align the monitoring process with the State Improvement Plan; to increase stakeholder
input through an advisory committee, surveys, and focus groups with parents, advocates, teachers, and
other district and school staff; and, to utilize data to identify issues, strategies for improvement and
evidence of change.
Fiscal agent:
University of Miami
Contact:
Eileen Amy
Exceptional Student Education Technology Support.
To provide information, training, and support
to educators and parents of children with special needs. To promote appropriate use of technology for
exceptional students through coordination with Department of Education technology initiatives; support
of several major technology projects, and support of technology components in additional projects.
Fiscal agent:
Tallahassee Community College
Contact:
Karen Morris
5

Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) Associate Centers.
To provide
diagnostic and instructional support services to those persons involved in the education of students with
exceptionalities, including infants and preschool children who are high risk or who have disabilities.
Fiscal agents:
School districts on behalf of the 19 designated FDLRS Associate Center service areas
Contact:
Karen Morris
Florida Inclusion Network (FIN).
To maintain a regional network of facilitators, consultants, and
practitioners to assist schools and school districts in the implementation of effective and inclusive
educational practices.
Fiscal agents:
Miami-Dade, Escambia, Duval, Palm Beach, Broward, Orange, Pinellas, Hillsborough,
University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University, University of West
Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University
Contact:
Mike Muldoon
Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired.
To provide Braille, large print,
and recorded materials for students with visual impairments through grade 12 throughout Florida and to
provide coordination and training in the selection and use of materials, equipment, and technological
applications.
Fiscal agent:
Hillsborough County School District
Contact:
Carla Brown
Florida Instructional Technology Training Resource Unit (FDLRS/TECH
).
To coordinate,
develop, and provide well-coordinated and high-quality experiences for educators and decision-makers
in key positions of impact, and to provide leadership in technology to assist students with disabilities to
attain their educational goals.
Fiscal agent:
Brevard County School District
Contact:
Karen Morris
Governor’s Summer Program for Gifted and High Achieving Students.
To provide gifted or
high-achieving secondary students with summer programs, located in universities and community
colleges, which emphasize experiences not commonly available on high school campuses.
Fiscal agents:
Public and private community colleges, and universities and colleges (competitive
project applications)
Contact:
Donnajo Smith
Institute for Small and Rural Districts (ISRD).
To address programmatic and functional concerns
in delivering services to students with disabilities and those at risk in small and rural district settings.
Fiscal agent:
Putnam County School District
Contact:
Iris Palazesi
Institute for Small and Rural Districts (ISRD) Gifted Initiative.
To address programmatic and
functional concerns in delivering services to students who are gifted in small and rural district settings.
Fiscal agent:
Putnam County School District
6

Contact:
Donnajo Smith
Juvenile Justice Education Enhancement Program.
To assist juvenile justice programs across the
state through provision of training, quality assurance, program development, and technical assistance to
programs and staff to meet or exceed established quality assurance standards and comply with all state
and federal requirements.
Fiscal agent:
Florida State University
Contact:
Michael Lisle
Multiagency Service Network for Students with Severe Emotional Disturbances (SEDNET).
To improve the success of students with severe emotional disturbances and the capacity of the school
districts to provide integrated education and treatment programs through partnerships with mental
health, education, and families.
Fiscal agents:
Eighteen regional projects
Contact:
Paul Gallaher
Outreach for Visually Impaired and Hearing Impaired Services.
To assist in the outreach
services needed for students with visual and hearing impairments. Additionally, staff is available to work
exclusively with small and rural districts in the identification and provision of needed services
Fiscal agent:
Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
Contact:
Carla Brown
Parents Educating Parents in the Community.
To provide information, training, and support to
parents of children with special needs and to build collaborative relationships between school personnel
and community service providers in the identification and alleviation of developmental disabilities in
children.
Fiscal agent:
Florida Gulf Coast University
Contact:
Iris Palazesi
Positive Behavioral Support.
To provide technical assistance and training that will expedite the
resolution of serious problem behavior and build the capacity of personnel to use positive, assessment-
based intervention approaches for students who have disabilities and significant behavioral challenges.
In addition, there is a second component of this project that provides guidance to school districts and
schools related to school-wide implementation of positive behavioral supports.
Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida, Florida Mental Health Institute, and Department of Child
and Family Studies
Contact:
Mike Muldoon
7

Preschool Administrative Services.
To provide administrative services necessary to design and
implement Florida’s preschool grant for students with disabilities, ages three through five, including
coordinating planning activities with the Part C, Infants and Toddlers Program, and to assist programs
administered through the Office of Early Intervention and School Readiness.
Fiscal agent:
Florida Atlantic University
Contact:
Carla Brown
Research Initiative.
To support research activities that will lead to improved programs for students
with disabilities.
Fiscal agent:
Washington County School District on behalf of PAEC
Contact:
Karen Denbroeder
Resource Materials Center for the Hearing Impaired.
To serve as the statewide coordinating unit
for specialized instructional materials, including technology, for students with hearing impairments. To
provide consultation and technical assistance regarding training, emerging technology applications, and
evaluation and use of materials to districts, FSDB teachers, and parents of students with hearing
impairments.
Fiscal agent:
FSDB
Contact:
Karen Morris
Shared Service Network Infrastructure Projects.
To develop communication and problem-solving
forums which will assist school districts and the Department of Education in the areas of interagency
policy, service delivery, and funding collaboration for the purpose of increasing school achievement and
positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities and other at-risk students.
Fiscal agents:
Ten to fifteen school districts to be selected based upon readiness assessment.
Contact:
Shan Goff
Shared Service Network Technical Assistance and Resource Center Project.
To develop a
Shared Service Network (SSN) infrastructure by building projects in ten counties and to assist in the
maintenance of existing projects, as well as to continue the development and enhancement of a Shared
Services Network Resource Center. To provide technical assistance to SSN projects, school districts,
and the Department of Education in the areas of interagency policy, service delivery, and funding
collaboration.
Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida
Contact:
Shan Goff
Student Support Services.
To assist the Department of Education in providing training, consultation,
resource development, and technical assistance to student services programs and staff statewide; to
support schools in meeting the academic, behavioral, and health needs of students that adversely affect
learning; and to help students make a successful transition into the world of work.
Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida
Contact:
Mary Jo Butler
8

Supplemental Academic Achievement Support.
To provide timely on-site training, program
development and improvement, and technical assistance to schools and school districts regarding
student performance and safe learning environments for at-risk students.
Fiscal agent:
Polk County School District
Contact:
Mary Jo Butler
Teacher Training Initiative for Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired.
To enhance capacity to
increase the number of appropriately qualified teachers and related services personnel for students with
visual impairments and hearing impairments through collaborative teacher preparation programs.
Fiscal agent:
University of North Florida
Contact:
Carla Brown
Tobacco Prevention and Intervention Teacher Training.
This project provides support to school
districts for teacher training to reduce and prevent the use of tobacco products by children.
Fiscal agents:
Florida public school districts (competitive project applications)
Contact:
Matthew McKibben
Transition to Independence Process (TIP).
To provide technical assistance and training to
personnel to improve the graduation rate and academic success of students with severe
emotional/behavioral disturbance (SED) and/or students with disabilities who are involved in the juvenile
justice system, as well as to increase their competencies for postsecondary success. This will result
from the implementation of a collaborative interagency transition system.
Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida
Contact:
Janet Adams
Very Special Arts Florida.
To maintain Very Special Arts Florida (VSAF) as a statewide support
network responsible for the implementation of arts programs to ensure the successful inclusion of
individuals with exceptionalities.
Fiscal agent:
University of South Florida
Contacts:
Margot Palazesi
9

Back to top