Guidelines for The Utah CSPD Consortium for Special Education

I. Purpose

The purpose of the Utah CSPD Consortium for Special Education is to provide for a unique forum to encourage mutuality of SEA/LEA planning and implementation of Utah's comprehensive system of personnel development for Special Education. The focus of these efforts shall be directed toward maximizing local education agency effectiveness, the result of which enhances positive child change.

II. Membership

The Membership of the Consortium consists of the following:

1. LEA representation - Special Education Directors or their representatives of the 40 Utah school districts and Utah School for the Deaf and Blind.
2. SEA representation - Special Education Director, CSPD Chairperson from the USOE, and State Office of Education Special Education coordinator and specialists.
3. IHE representation - Special Education representatives from each of the four-year colleges and universities.
4. Parent representation - the Director of the Parent Center
5. Health Department (Part C)
6. State Office of Rehabilitation

III. Leadership

A. The stewardship of the Utah CSPD Consortium for Special Education will be provided by a Consortium Board made up of the following representatives:

1. UPDC Leadership Team consisting of four members. Two are elected from LEA/USDB membership and one will be filled by the fiscal agent district for the Utah Learning Resource Center. Representation from LEA/USDB membership will ensure one representative from urban districts, one from rural districts and one from districts at large. The fourth member is the CSPD representative from the USOE. The chair of the leadership team will be one of the three LEA/USDB representatives and selected by the Consortium Board. Members will serve three year terms. At the end of the three year terms, the immediate last chairperson will act as an exofficio member for one year. The responsibility of this Leadership team is to administer the UPDC project in conjunction with the agent school district. Elections will be held in February/March of the appropriate year. In the event that a member of the Leadership Team is unable to complete his/her term, the members of the Consortium will elect an appropriate person to fill the unexpired term at the next Consortium meeting. The chair of the ULRC Leadership Team will serve as the chair for the Consortium and its Board.
2. The Director of Special Education and CSPD Chairperson from the Utah State Office of Education.
3. Director of the Utah Parent Center.
4. A representative of the Institutes of Higher Education.
5. A representative from Part C (Health Department).
6. The Project Coordinator of the UPDC will serve as the Executive Secretary of the Board.

1. Set agendas for Consortium meetings and provide opportunities for networking among Consortium members.
2. Screen presenters for Consortium meetings.
3. Monitor Consortium directions to ensure delineation of programmatic implementation and administrative issues.
4. Facilitate and ensure continuous communication among membership.
5. Formulate operational policies related to programmatic implementation of the CSPD to be approved by the Consortium.
6. Determine the topics to be addressed in the Utah Special Educator newsletter.
7. Identify issues needing to be addressed by the Consortium.

1. The meetings will be conducted by the Chairperson of the Consortium
2. During Consortium meetings, when discussions require a decision, each agency (SEA, LEA/USDB, IHE, Health Department, Office of Rehabilitation and the Utah Parent Center) represented in the Consortium will have one vote.