SPECIAL EDUCATION 2015-2016

SPECIAL EDUCATION2015-2016

Reality ABC’s of EDUCATIONStaff Orientation All arrive with a clean slate and ready to learn.

Same Goal for all children: Access Benefit Collaboration

Schooling by DesignWiggins & McTighe This common lens has enabled us to develop: • Mission • Vision Pillars • Learning Principles • A Strategic Plan We are all working toward a common goal of doing what is best for the students of Sutton.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act • The early ‘70’s yielded the original laws PL 94-142 and MA Chapter 766 • In 1997 this evolved to IDEA • 2004 IDEA was reauthorized

The Goal and Purpose of Special Education • Minimize impact of disability One may have a disability, it must impact access and the goal is to teach individuals strategies that may eventually be self implemented. • Maximize Opportunities to participate All students are entitled to access the curriculum, which may require accommodations and/or modifications, or direct instruction.

IDEA and General Education • Students are a priority for all • Special education and generalists work hard to collaborate through Response to Intervention (RTI), Differentiated Instruction (DI), Executive Functioning (EF) • Related service providers try to integrate skills that are taught in isolation into the daily curriculum • Generalists provide instruction that is multidisciplinary, provides for practice and is repeated often

How to make it work • Personnel demonstrate flexibility & desire for ongoing collaboration • RTI, DI & EF are a part of the Sutton Public School culture • Individual strengths and expertise are viewed as valuable resources • Special Education personnel provide strong advocacy for student needs and support to both students and teachers • Instructional assistants are effectively utilized as key players in meeting needs of the students

Things we know • Regular provisions of time for interaction between generalists and special education personnel must occur • Opportunities to generalize skills is essential for student mastery • Collaboration within the inclusion setting is essential to meet the needs of all students • The number one predictor of student success is the presence of the classroom teacher who is identified as Highly Qualified

Organization Purpose and clarity of lesson Expectations clearly defined Assessment: formative and… Feedback: specific, immediate Collaboration Relevancy Engagement Modeling expected outcomes Proximity Chunking Interventions/practice Reinforcement Dignify the error Elements that improve student success

Student Needs Making the Right Educational Decision • District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act • Individual Education Program

District Curriculum Accommodation Plan • A document created to meet an identified student need • Processed through Guidance • These are accommodations that usually represent the implementation of good teaching practices but identified to meet the needs of a specific student • The document serves to ensure all parties are on the same page

Section 504 Accommodation Plan • This too is an accommodation plan, however a student must be identified with a disability • This is not limited to the 10 disabilities identified in IDEA, but rather any disability that might effect a life function (including learning) • Processed and disseminated through guidance

Individual Education Program 10 Basic Steps • Referral • Evaluation • Meeting scheduled • Eligibility determined • IEP developed • IEP accepted by parents • Services provided • Progress monitored and reported (as often as report cards are issued) • IEP reviewed (annually) • Re evaluation (every three years to determine continued eligiblity)

Your Responsibilities • All IEPs are legally binding contracts which require action on your part • All are created to provide access to the curriculum • DCAP and 504 are regular education implementations • IEP’s are developed and implemented through special education, but impact regular education • You will be responsible to sign off that you have read, understand and will implement the content of these documents.

For Teachers IEP’s are at your fingertips at esped.com • Your username will be your Sutton login ex. terenzik@suttonschools.net • The initial password for new staff will be: Sutton If you are unable to access please contact me through e-mail • A User guide will be e-mailed to you from your principals • You will be contacted by the liaison to sign and document that you have reviewed the IEP. This must be completed by Friday, Sept. 21, 2018.

Other Provisions to support greater performance by all students

Response to Intervention • Appears in NCLB and IDEA • This process is essential when making a referral to your individual building teams: SCEL/ELEM=STAT MS/HS=SAM • Documentation is necessary before a referral for a special education evaluation 1. What interventions were tried? 2. What were the outcomes? 3. How long was it tried? 4. What else?

Response to Intervention • Focuses on providing more focused instruction & encouraging earlier interventions for students experiencing difficulty learning • Make changes to support progress • Assess, teach, reassess, make changes, reassess, collect data to support

Your Part as a TEAM member • Collaborative teams with a focus on learning • Collective inquiry into best practices and current reality • Ongoing use of data to improve instructional practices • Actionable outcomes and implementation • Results orientation

Inclusive Education • General Education should be the presumed placement for all students. 2. Removal should only occur if important learning goals cannot be achieved in the general education environment.

Inclusive Education • Removal should not occur simply because general education must make accommodations to meet the needs of students. 4. Social Integration is important. 5. Inclusion should be purposeful.

Differentiated Instruction • Differentiating instruction means creating multiple paths so that students of different abilities, interest or learning needs experience equally appropriate ways to absorb, use, develop and present concepts as a part of the daily learning process.

Executive Functioning (EF) Executive Functioning includes the following processes necessary to successfully navigate the world: inhibition, shift, emotional control, initiation, working memory, planning/organization, organization of materials, and self-monitoring.

THINKING-Cognition -working memory -planning/prioritizing -organization -time management -metacognition DOING-Behavior -response inhibition -emotional control -sustained attention -task initiation -goal directed persistence -flexibility There are two dimensions of Executive Skills

Three Skills Necessary for Academic Competence • Literacy Skills: decoding/encoding; expressive and receptive language skills • Study Skills: flexible and appropriate use of strategies for managing materials, time, and information/ideas. • Self-Regulation and Self-Efficacy: goal setting, perseverance, appropriate learning and study behaviors, confidence that one’s actions will lead to goal achievement

Special Education & You • Special education teachers will meet with you to support your IEP access through e-sped, answer questions, establish a regular meeting time and identify their role within the inclusion model. • Make it a Two Way Street • Teaching assistants will meet with special education and regular education teachers to understand/identify their role in the inclusion model.

Introducing the Key Players • Secretaries 1. Julie Mitchell x1121 2. Joanne Babin ( 12 – 3) x3573 • Team Chairs • Scott Parker Gr 5-12+ x4273 • Bernadette King Gr Pk-4 x1153

ABC’s • Can seem cumbersome, convoluted and anything, but EASY! • All working toward common goal: STUDENT SUCCESS

Keys to Success Successful provision of: Access Benefit Collaboration

Many Thanks • For your time and efforts in doing what is best for the students of Sutton. • The Special Education office is located in the Simonian Center for Early Learning • Karen Terenzini X1156

SPECIAL EDUCATION 2015-2016