Friday, December 8, 2023
Dr. Craig Meador, American Printing House for the Blind (APH) President, shared that the APH Federal Quota Program eligibility will now include any students who meet the definition of blind and visually impaired, per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 34 CFR §300.8(c)(13). This means that local educational agencies (LEAs) and Teachers of the Blind and Visually Impaired (TVIs) will now register all students in their districts, aged 3 through 21 years, who are determined to be blind and visually impaired in Wisconsin under PI 11.36(3) and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
We are extending the APH Federal Quota Program registration timeline to Friday, January 12, 2024, at 10 p.m. This will allow designees additional time to work with their LEAs to gather the required Parent or Guardian Permission (FERPA) form (linked below) to ensure these new students may also be registered.
If you are an LEA who submitted that you did not have students to register, you may need to connect with your TVI to select them as a designee, as your district may now have students to register. Please complete the APH Microsoft Form if your district needs to designate a staff person to complete the Census. If you have already submitted the APH Census Registration for your LEA, you may add the newly qualifying students. New students may be added by completing the blank registration form found on our website, Wisconsin APH Federal Quota Program Resources, and submitting via the same secure upload link previously provided or requesting a new upload link. Submit any questions to aphcensus@wcbvi.k12.wi.us.
It is vital to know that the allocation of APH Federal Quota funding from Congress is not increasing, rather the annual allocation will be prorated and adjusted to a new per pupil allocation based upon the total number of students who will now be registered in this federal program nationally.
We encourage LEAs to work with their designees and TVIs to utilize their student information systems or other encrypted file transmittal programs, if possible, to ensure that families can submit the required Parent or Guardian Permission (FERPA) to their districts. These forms are required to be signed by parents or guardians prior to inclusion on the APH Census and must be kept within the district level.