Purpose Statement
Responsibility of the Public School
Responsibility of Head Start
Additional areas of cooperation
Fiscal and administrative considerations
Responsibilities of the Office of Public Instruction and the region VII
Signatures

This agreement defines the policy framework between the Montana Office of Public Instruction, the Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Region VIII Head Start Bureau, Region XII Head Start Bureau (Migrant Programs Branch) and the Montana Head Start Association and Montana Tribal Head Starts insuring collaboration on the provision of services to children with disabilities aged 0-5.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this agreement is to describe the responsibilities of each agency while providing for local collaboration among Head Start, public school programs and Part H early intervention programs in order to:

1. Insure that children with disabilities 0-2 receive early intervention services and children 3-5 receive a free appropriate education program.
   
2. Maximize services through the joint utilization of resources. It is our belief that such collaboration will improve services to young children with disabilities, while conserving resources and avoiding duplication of effort.

Responsibilities of the Public School:

It shall be the responsibility of the public schools to:

• To ensure that all children ages 0-5 who have disabilities and who are in need of special education and related services are located, identified, and evaluated using non-biased methods/instruments through an on-going child find process.

• Provide comprehensive educational evaluation performed by child study teams made up of qualified personnel in accord with Montana Special Education Reference Manual, 1994.
  
• Provide special education and related services as described on the Individualized Education Program (IEP) to children with disabilities between ages 3-5 so they receive free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.

• Count all eligible children 3-5 with disabilities eligible under IDEA to generate federal funds.
  
• Insure that all procedural safeguards, including confidentiality of educational records and use of native language if appropriate, are provided to children 3-5 with disabilities and their parents in accord with Montana Special Education Reference Manual Revised, 1994.

Responsibility of Head Start:

It shall be the responsibility of Head Start to:

1. In accordance with Section 1308.5 HSPSSCD, recruit, enroll and serve Head Start eligible children ages 3-5. No less than ten percent of the total number of enrollment opportunities in Head Start programs shall be available for children with disabilities who are eligible to participate under Section 1308.5.
   
2. Refer infants and toddlers suspected of having a developmental delay to the local Part H agency and preschool children suspected of having a disability to the child's public school for evaluation as soon as the need is evident.
   
3. Insure that health screening/assessment (medical, dental, nutritional, and developmental), be completed for Head Start enrolled children, if not performed as part of the public school evaluation or Part H evaluation, for determining whether to refer a child suspected to be in need of Part H or special education and related services. This screening/assessment is complementary to the local education agency's or Part H agency's evaluation.
   
4. Collaborate with the Part H agency and/or public school in the multidisciplinary evaluation, bearing responsibility for determining if the child is eligible for additional Head Start services if they do not met Montana State special education requirements, IFSP/IEP development, and the periodic IFSP/IEP review. Implementation of those portions of the IFSP/IEP identified for the Head Start Program and those for the Part H agency and public school shall be reviewed concurrently.
   
5. Insure that procedural safeguards, including confidentiality of records and use of native language where appropriate, are provided for all children with disabilities and their parents. Parents will be informed of the evaluation procedures and the service delivery methods.
   
6. Offer a support system for families of children with disabilities through training, information and social support; share information on Head Start and state regulations regarding services to young children with disabilities.
   
7. Prepare parents for and involve parents in the decision-making process of transition between agencies. The migrant programs, with the assistance and support from local community agencies, will ensure a smooth transition of children who change programs due to the family changing residences.

Responsibilities of the Part H Agency:

1. To insure that all infants and toddlers 0-2 who have disabilities and who are eligible for early intervention services are identified, located, and with parental consent evaluated and receive services.
   
2. Provide services as described in the IFSP to eligible infants and toddlers.
   
3. Count all eligible children 0-2 with disabilities.
   
4. Insure that all procedural safeguards including confidentiality of child and family records are provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families in accord with Montana's current Part H State Plan.
   
5. Involve families in the decision making processes surrounding transitions to other service systems. Maintain a system to ensure a smooth transition of children from Part H to Head Start or other community services with appropriate notification of the impending transition supplied following parental consent.
   
6. Assist children and families to develop positive working relationships as they transition to services with Head Start agencies, local public schools and other service providers.

Shared Responsibilities

Part H agencies, public schools and Head Start programs are encouraged to develop agreements within the framework of this agreement to better define their relationships and specify areas of cooperation appropriate to local situations. Numerous methods of cooperation can be employed to implement services to children with disabilities ages 0-5 which insure coordinated services, maximize available resources and avoid the duplication of services.

• Collaboration: Collaborate with all agencies serving children with disabilities 0-5 to work together for the benefit of the child and the family.
• Shared Resources: Head Start programs, Part H agencies and public schools should consider or continue the development of a system of shared resources which may include shared personnel, cooperative resource libraries, contracted services, exchange of in-kind services, and dual placement appropriate to individual situations.
• Communication: The part H agencies, public schools and Head Start programs should develop interagency networks for the purpose of establishing and maintaining regular and ongoing communications. This can be effectively accomplished through the organization of a local interagency council, or through a less formal structure. All agencies will share copies of their regulations and requirements for assessment, evaluation, eligibility and placement with the other collaborating agencies.
• Child Find: Regional and Migrant Head Start programs, tribal Head Start Child Find efforts, Part H agencies and public schools should develop an effective, coordinated and comprehensive on-going Child Find program utilizing the resources of each agency. All agencies are encouraged to work collaboratively toward developing intervention strategies prior to public school evaluation referral.
• Mutual Referral: Part H agencies, public schools and Head Start programs should establish compatible procedures for mutual referral of young children with disabilities ages 0-5. Migrant Head Start programs will assist in the referral process by providing Spanish interpretation/translation for families enrolled in Region XII programs when needed. The agencies will establish and/or support a system with Head Start, migrant Head Start and Part H agencies for involving parents in the decision-making processes surrounding transitions between agencies, beginning at least 90 days prior to the child's third birthday.
• Evaluation and Determination of Eligibility: Part H, public school and Head Start program personnel should cooperatively serve as members of multidisciplinary evaluation teams whenever appropriate; however, each program determines eligibility according to its own regulations. It is strongly recommended that at the local level, multidisciplinary evaluation teams meet and share their respective regulations regarding eligibility and that parents are fully informed of the requirements of all systems at the beginning of the evaluation process. A copy of the Montana OPI brochure, Parental Rights in Special Education (1994) or other appropriate document or information summary should be provided by the local education agency in the native language/communication mode of the parent unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. This will be done: at a transition meeting at least 90 days prior to the child's third birthday; or when the local education agency requests parental permission for conducting a comprehensive educational evaluation; and again at the meeting to develop an individualized education program (IEP).
• Joint Meetings: When appropriate, personnel from Part H public schools and/or Head Start will meet jointly with families to design individualized plans for services. An IFSP/IEP will be developed as soon as possible following the determination that the child needs special education and/or related services. Region XII Head Start programs will assist with interpretation/translation services when needed.
• Collaborative Service Delivery: When appropriate, agencies will implement individualized programs in a collaborative, coordinated manner. Communities are encouraged to expand their continuum of service delivery models so that to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who have no identified disabilities.
• Transitions: The Part H agencies, local education agencies and the Head Start programs should cooperatively implement procedures to provide for smooth and orderly transitions of children with disabilities between service delivery systems including mutual notification of transition and an invitation for involvement in writing the initial IEP for Head Start eligible children with parental consent. All portions of the Federal IDEA provisions for transition should be reviewed and time lines followed to ensure continuity of services.
• Confidentiality: All information shared in these processes shall conform with the confidentiality and due process requirements as identified for Head Start, in IDEA, and in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Families will be informed of procedural safeguards in their native language wherever feasible to do so.
• Joint Training: The Head Start programs, Part H agencies and public schools are encouraged to include the other agency's personnel and families in training activities whenever possible and appropriate. It is strongly recommended that the results of training needs assessments done at the local level be shared among all agencies.

Fiscal and Administrative Considerations:

For the purposes of maximizing the impact of available funds and resources, cost effectiveness, and to diminish their impact caused by limited financial resources, Head Start programs, Part H agencies and public schools are encouraged to consider cooperative fiscal arrangements in serving young children with disabilities. Local agencies through their interagency agreements should attempt to access all external resources to support their services for children with disabilities.

Dispute Resolution:

1. Local agencies and providers are encouraged to proactively address differences at the local level which could include using local interagency councils or local agency grievance procedures.
   
2. When all local options are exhausted, conflicts between or among local education agencies, Part H agencies, and Head Start Programs should be referred to the 619 Coordinator for the Montana Office of Public Instruction and/or the Part H Coordinator for the Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Region VIII, XI, and XII Resource Access Projects to ensure timely facilitation of a resolution process by the local entities.
   
3. Disputes which cannot be resolved informally by the local entities with the facilitation of the
   
4. Part H Coordinator, 619 Coordinator, and Resource Access Projects personnel will be referred directly to the next appropriate level personnel from Region VIII, XI, and XII Administration for Children and Families, the Administrator of the Disabilities Services Division/DPHHS, and the State Director of Special Education.
   
5. Part B and Part H "stay put" regulations, as described in the Montana Special Education Reference Manual and in the Montana State Part H Implementation Plan will apply during the pendency of all dispute resolution activities.

Responsibilities of the Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Office of Public Instruction and the Region VIII Administration for Children and Families:

1. Annually, representatives of the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Region VIII, XI and XII Administration for Children and Families, the Region VIII, XI and XII Resource Access Project and the Head Start Association will be contacted by the regional RAP director and asked to review this agreement and make joint recommendations for any modifications needed. It will be revised as often as needed or every three years.
   
2. The Office of Public Instruction, Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Region VIII Administration of Children and Families, the Region XI and XII RAPs will disseminate this agreement to their respective local agencies and grantees.
   
3. The Office of Public Instruction, Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Region VIII, XI and XII Administration of Children and Families, and the Region VIII, XI, and XII Resource Access Projects will jointly provide technical assistance and training in the development and implementation of local agreements.

This agreement shall be in effect when each party signs.

_________________________________ Beverly Turnbo Regional Administrator, Administration for Children and Families, Region VIII Date: ______________________________ _________________________________ Helen Taylor Associate Commissioner, Administration for Children and Families Regional Administrator Region XI Date: ______________________________ __________________________________ Joe Mathews Administrator, Developmental Disabilities Date: _____________________________

_________________________________ Laurie Ekanger Director, Department of PHHS Date: ________________________ ____________________________________ Nancy Keenan Superintendent Office of Public Instruction Date: _______________________________ ____________________________________ Marie V. Ekhart, Chairperson Montana Head Start Association Date: _______________________________ ____________________________________ Robert Runkel, Director of Special Education - Montana Office of Public Instruction Date: _______________________________

__________________________________ Earl Old Person, Chairman               Date Blackfeet Tribe __________________________________ Rhonda Swaney, Chairwoman               Date Confederated Tribes of __________________________________ Clara Nomee, Chairperson               Date Crow Tribe __________________________________ Tracy King, Chairman               Date Fort Belknap Reservation

____________________________________ Caleb Shields, Chairman               Date Fort Peck Tribe ____________________________________ William Walks Along                Date Northern Cheyenne Tribe ___________________________________ Bert Corcoran, Chairman               Date Rocky Boy's Chippewa Cree Tribe