Policy/Procedures
Per the Advisory Council Rules, the Advisory Council has a duty to:
- Provide viewpoints from a variety of stakeholders to include a mediator, school districts, a community member, parents of students with disabilities and the Oklahoma State Department of Education during the development of recommended policy and procedure change;
- Advise whether the current policies and procedures are meeting the needs of the parents/school districts to be served;
- Recommend changes in policy and procedure of the special education mediation, due process hearing and appeal systems, and in the recruitment, training and evaluation of mediators, hearing and appeal officers, and
- Help foster good relations between the stakeholder groups.
The Advisory Council Rules also outline membership composition, terms and vacancies, financial composition, and some meeting logistics.
Stakeholder Involvement
Membership is composed of six (6) parents, representatives from four (4) school districts, one (1) representative from the State Department of Education - Special Education Services, and one (1) mediator. Members come from locations throughout Oklahoma. The school district membership reflects small, medium and large districts with about half of the school district members having participated in due process and half have not. School district representatives are encouraged to work with their district as a team to represent school district views on the Council. The parents represent children having various disabilities across the school age span. Some of the parents have participated in due process and some have not. The Council is ethnically and racially diverse.
Fiscal
Expenses shall be paid by Oklahoma ABLE Tech for any member who incurs expenses for an attendant or interpreter services during Advisory Council meetings. Council members shall be reimbursed for any travel expenses incurred for attendance at Council meetings; (providing travel expenses are not paid by any other Agency source).