OFFICIALS of the Public School System and its Special Education Program joined their counterparts in the region last week for the National Center for System Improvement’s 2022 In-Person Pacific Collaborative Convening on Guam.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs or OSEP funds the National Center for System Improvement or NCSI.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Education-Office of Special Programs led by CNMI State Lead Charlie Kniseley and USDOE-OSEP Director Valerie C. Williams attended the five-day conference.
Rorie Fitzpatrick, Sara Doutre, Mari Shikuzawa, Michele Rovins and Cesar D’Agord represented NCSI while Tessie Bailey represented OSEP’s partner, the American Institutes for Research.
The CNMI participants were Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada, PSS Special Education Program Director Donna Flores, Budget and Finance Director Arlene Lizama, PSS-SpED Data and Compliance Program Manager Nora Fujihira, and Federal Programs Office Interim Head for Internal Control and Evaluation Marian Tudela.
They joined their counterparts from Guam, the Marshall Islands, Palau, American Samoa and the Federated States of Micronesia for the five-day in-person convening from Oct. 3 to 7.
According to PSS Special Education Director Flores, several key critical topics were discussed. These included exploring OSEP’s protocols for examining special education programs as part of the Differentiated Monitoring System; the use of the OSEP protocols and NCSI tools to assess an entity’s strengths and needs related to administering special education programs; ensuring compliance with the Individuals with the Disabilities Education Act; improving student outcomes; deepening collaborative relationships within the Pacific community and with OSEP, NCSI, and other technical assistance providers to help address common and unique challenges; and cultural practices and updated discipline policy related to special education.
The National Center for System Improvement 2022 In-Person Pacific Collaborative Convening was held last week on Guam. Facilitated by U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, the participants were from the CNMI, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Palau, American Samoa and the Federated States of Micronesia. In photo, the CNMI team, standing back, from left, Special Education Director Donna Flores, PSS Finance and Budget Director Arlene Lizama, Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada, Special Education’s Data & Compliance Program Manager Nora Fujihira, and Federal Programs Office’s Marian Tudela pose for a photo with, front row, from left, Charlie Kniseley, USDOE-Office of Special Education Programs CNMI State Lead; Rorie Fitzpatrick, National Systems on Systemic Improvement; Valerie Williams, director, USDOE-OSEP; Tessie Bailey, American Institutes for Research/Progress Center; Sara Doutre, NCSI; Mari Shikuzawa, NCSI; Michelle Rovins, NCSI; and Cesar D’Agord, NCSI.
U.S. Department of Education-Office of Special Education officials Charlie Kniseley and Valerie Williams, third and forth from left, respectively, pose for a photo with the CNMI Public School System Special Education Program Data & Compliance Program Manager Nora Fujihira, Finance and Budget Director Arlene Lizama, Special Education Program Director Donna Flores, Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada, and Federal Programs Office’s interim for Internal Control & Evaluation Marian Tudela.
