2008 Minnesota Statutes

125A.63 RESOURCE CENTERS; DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING AND BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

Subdivision 1.Also for multiply disabled.

Resource centers for the deaf or hard of hearing, and the blind or visually impaired, each also serving multiply disabled pupils, are transferred to the Department of Education.

Subd. 2.Programs.

The resource centers must offer summer institutes and like programs throughout the state for deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, and multiply disabled pupils. The resource centers must also offer workshops for teachers, and leadership development for teachers.

A program offered through the resource centers must promote and develop education programs offered by school districts or other organizations. The program must assist school districts or other organizations to develop innovative programs.

Subd. 3.Programs by nonprofits.

The resource centers may contract to have nonprofit organizations provide programs through the resource centers.

Subd. 4.Advisory committees.

The commissioner shall establish an advisory committee for each resource center. The advisory committees shall develop recommendations regarding the resource centers and submit an annual report to the commissioner on the form and in the manner prescribed by the commissioner.

Subd. 5.Statewide hearing loss early education intervention coordinator.

(a) The coordinator shall:

(1) collaborate with the early hearing detection and intervention coordinator for the Department of Health, the director of the Department of Education Resource Center for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, and the Department of Health Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Council;

(2) coordinate and support Department of Education early hearing detection and intervention teams;

(3) leverage resources by serving as a liaison between interagency early intervention committees; part C coordinators from the Departments of Education, Health, and Human Services; Department of Education regional low-incidence facilitators; service coordinators from school districts; Minnesota children with special health needs in the Department of Health; public health nurses; child find; Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services Division; and others as appropriate;

(4) identify, support, and promote culturally appropriate and evidence-based early intervention practices for infants with hearing loss, and provide training, outreach, and use of technology to increase consistency in statewide service provision;

(5) identify culturally appropriate specialized reliable and valid instruments to assess and track the progress of children with hearing loss and promote their use;

(6) ensure that early childhood providers, parents, and members of the individual family service and intervention plan are provided with child progress data resulting from specialized assessments;

(7) educate early childhood providers and teachers of the deaf and hard-of-hearing to use developmental data from specialized assessments to plan and adjust individual family service plans; and

(8) make recommendations that would improve educational outcomes to the early hearing detection and intervention committee, the commissioners of education and health, the Minnesota Commission Serving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People, and the advisory council of the Minnesota Department of Education Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.

(b) The Department of Education must provide aggregate data regarding outcomes of deaf and hard-of-hearing children who receive early intervention services within the state in accordance with the state performance plan.

History:

1987 c 398 art 3 s 30; 1989 c 220 s 2; 1991 c 265 art 3 s 38; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 11 s 9; art 16 s 13; 2003 c 130 s 12; 2006 c 263 art 3 s 9; 2007 c 146 art 3 s 7