About the PVEC
by Dr. Bob Couldry
February 15, 2011
The Platte Valley Education Cooperative was started in 1977. When it first began it was known as the Platte Valley Special Education Cooperative with offices located at Smithville, MO. At that time the PVEC consisted of 7 area school districts including Platte County, Smithville, Clinton County, East Buchanan, Buchanan County R-IV, Mid-Buchanan and North Platte. However, some of the districts quickly became large enough to support their own special services programs independently. Today the PVEC consists of 5 school districts including: Buchanan County R-IV, East Buchanan C-1, Mid-Buchanan R-V, North Platte R-I and Stewartsville C-2.
The PVEC has evolved from being considered a special education cooperative. It now provides several programs not considered special education services. Those services are listed below:
P.V.E.C. SERVICES
Testing and Assessment - Cognitive: WAIS-IV, WISC-IV, SB-5, LEITER-R;
Adaptive: Vineland II Teacher Rating, Vineland II Survey Edition;
Achievement: WJ III, KTEA-II, WRMT-R, Key Math-R, TEMA-III TERA-III,
TOWL-4
Language: PPVT-4, TOLD-4, TELD, TOAL-3, CELF-4
Behavioral: BES-3. CARS (Autism Scale)
Applications – All applications, final expenditure reports, budget amendments, program
Evaluations, etc are completed by PVEC for member districts for SPED
programs.
Compliances – PVEC works with districts to insure compliances are met. This includes
checking files for each district annually; placing public notices in the newspapers,
on radio and television; assisting districts in approving appropriate SPED related assurances, and procedural safeguards/confidentiality training.
IEP Assistance – Includes typing IEPs, maintaining records on IEPs, attending IEP
meetings to assist and support districts. Also includes regular updates to IEPs
to maintain compliances with changes in regulations.
Transition Programs – PVEC provides assistance in transition as required by statute.
Work Study Program- The PVEC provides services relating to a Work Study Program
for member schools.
MSIP Review – PVEC attends DESE meetings to assist schools in preparing for the
Special Education portion of MSIP Review. This includes completion of the
Special Education Monitoring Self-Assessment (SEMSA). PVEC assists member
districts in completion of the entire MSIP process.
Outside Services/Placement – PVEC assists districts in finding outside placement for
students with unusual needs. PVEC also assists districts in locating resources for
outside services for students with special needs. These are done at district expense. Examples are BD placements, State Schools, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Blind or Deaf Services, Autism Services, etc.
Technical Assistance – PVEC assists districts in issues and situations arising relating to
SPED children, staff, programs and families.
Equipment – PVEC purchases some specific equipment for use by member schools.
Examples include hearing and vision screening equipment, specialized equipment
for communications, etc. This equipment is owned by the PVEC and loaned to
each individual district as needed.
Training – PVEC provides paraprofessional training and special education staff member
training for schools each year.
Section 504 – PVEC provides assistance with schools in dealing with 504 students and in
the development of those plans
Outside Billing – PVEC receives bills for districts from outside sources. We in turn
check these bills, confirm they are correct and forward them to the districts. We
do sometimes find errors and ask they be corrected. These bills are not from the
PVEC. We are merely confirming the accuracy, authenticity of the bills, and
asking for corrections when necessary.
PARENTS AS TEACHERS
Personnel - PVEC assists in employing personnel. We also deal with salary issues and
benefits issues.
Applications – The PVEC submits all applications, reports, evaluations, budgets, etc to
DESE for member schools.
Training – PVEC insures each Parent Educator is trained and certified.
Assessments – Child assessments are completed by the Parent Educators for all new children. Assessments are also completed to refer a child to Early Childhood
Special Education if necessary.
Expenses – The PVEC handles all mileage and supplies claims for reimbursement.
Billings – The PVEC sends monthly billings to each district and adjusts
the billings at the end-of-the-year to reflect the actual number of visits and
families served.
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION
Assessments – These are done by an outside source for the districts. This is at district expense. The speech portion of the evaluation is completed by PVEC staff.
Transportation – The PVEC submits requests for reimbursement of district costs to
transport these children.
Enrollment – The PVEC works with the staff at the ECSE program to enroll children in
the programs at Camden Point or Clinton County. Other placements like, special
schools for the deaf, blind or children with other special needs the PVEC assists in making those arrangements.
Transition- The PVEC assists in the transition process from the ECSE to Kindergarten.
FEDERAL/STATE PROGRAMS
Public Placement/Excess Cost – PVEC submits applications, final reports, bills other
districts, collects information from DFS, DYS, DMH, Courts, and resolves
questions from other districts relating to billings on public placement,
School Age Health Care – PVEC writes grant, submits all reports and evaluations,
submits bills to DESE, attends mandatory meetings, works with required
committees, and assist nurses in meeting their training needs.
Applications and Reports- The PVEC completes all applications, final expenditure
reports and other mandatory reports for IDEA, Part B; ECSE; School Age Health
Care; Homebound Instruction; Severe Disabilities Services Fund; Parents As
Teachers; Medicaid; and other reports for individual schools.
Medicaid- The PVEC coordinates the School District Administrative Claiming Program
and Direct Billing for all districts. This includes all training, forms, reports, etc.
Each district receives funds quarterly as a result of this program. We are also
completing all necessary documentation to begin participation in Direct Billing.
Other Grants – PVEC helps write and monitor other grants for individual districts.
OTHER SERVICES
Gifted Evaluations – PVEC provides these evaluations for member schools
Homebound Assistance –PVEC provides assistance to schools in placing children,
finding teachers, submitting applications, submitting reports, etc. to DESE.
Crisis Management – PVEC assists member schools in developing Crisis Management Plans.
Representation – PVEC represents member schools at various meetings that have required attendance.
Due Process Assistance – PVEC assists schools in dealing with any Due Process
Hearings they may encounter. This may incur a cost to the district.
Manifestation Determination - PVEC conducts these with school officials, parents, etc.
PVEC assists in writing and implementation of those determinations.
Miscellaneous - PVEC assists individual schools with other requests relating to services
and programs for children.
This list is not necessarily complete. There are other services provided by the PVEC to the individual school districts.
