OH SB264

Department of Education must solicit studies from school districts and educational service centers by June 30, 2014, and every five years thereafter measuring time occupational and physical therapists spend on 15 specified activities over two separate two-week periods.

Studies must track time spent on child evaluations, IEP development, service provision, transition services, documentation, meetings, collaboration, advocacy, training, work planning, travel, district initiatives, staff supervision, and professional development.

Department shall classify activities into four categories: direct services to children with disabilities, educational programming development, support for nondisabled children, and compliance with federal or state legal requirements.

Department must develop a formula determining appropriate ratio of children with disabilities per therapist that allows providers to fulfill all job responsibilities within full-time work hours, and adjust the formula based on subsequent study data.

School districts and educational service centers must implement Department directions for aligning therapist workloads with the formula-determined appropriate size; Department reports findings to State Board of Education within 90 days of providing information to districts.