Special Education

Program Study

2006-2007

Our Special Education Team

“Thirty years ago, Congress announced that more than half of American children with disabilities were not receiving appropriate educational services. Today, American Schools have a world-class system for differentiating instruction for all students, regardless of cognitive, emotional or physical limitations. That’s quite an accomplishment, and something about which educators should be proud.” -- Pamela Wheaton Shorr, District Administration, May 2006

Special Education at LSH

The Program Study• 1st study since 1991-92

• All staff surveyed April 06

• June 2006 administrators and teachers identified expectations

• Summer 06 all worked on “chapters”

• During year worked with team of 5 reps

Special Education at LSH

Highlights of Study: Program description defines job

responsibilities of SpEd teachers

Due Process Flow Chart

Comparison to Other Districts

NWEA Results … beginning steps to data analysis; Viewpoint is needed!

Special Education at LSH

Data from MDE tells us:

Higher percentage (nearly 10%) of SpEd students graduate from LSH than State

Fewer SpEd students drop out from LSH compared to State

Avoidance of racial bias in Special Ed Identification

Special Education at LSH

STRENGTHS: Over 90% GenEd staff is willing to modify

instruction

SpEd staff provides services to nearly all special needs within the district

We made AYP in 1st year of plan

Collaboration between SpEd and GenEd is valued and practiced

Special Education at LSH

After a year of study, we are here to

offer the top ten special education

challenges that affect schools

in Le Sueur-Henderson,

with our solutions for each.

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #1(not in priority order)

STANDARDS - a Two-Fold Challenge:

SpEd teachers deliver Academic Standards at many grade levels and in many content areas -- for students with different disabilities and widely divergent needs

Find texts and tools to meet the standards while matching and/or accommodating individual student learning needs

Our Solution

Meet with General Education teachers to brainstorm ideas and resources

Evaluate possible resources

Order materials

Use materials with students

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #2(not in priority order)

Following legal protocols for mandated DUE PROCESS PAPERWORK

• Assessment, conducting student evaluations

• IEP reports

• Progress reports

• Maintaining files

• Team meeting preparation and follow-up

• Third Party Billing

Prep time for instructional planning and collaborating with GenEd gets eaten up with paperwork and compliance

Our Solution

Meet with district administrators to develop solutions

Implement the recommendations

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #3(not in priority order)

TECHNOLOGY Develop student skills in technology to

prepare for life

Getting the equipment that works with current tech requirements into the Special Ed classrooms

Purchasing software that will have the greatest impact on student achievement

Our Solution

Work with district tech team to determine needs

Request software funds to “catch up”

Review needs and make recommendations annually

Be part of the technology rotation

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #4(not in priority order)

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Addressing Assistive Technology use is required as part of the IEP process

Our staff needs to learn more about assistive technology and how it benefits our students

Our Solution

Invite outside experts Thanks to Closing the

Gap! Request Assistive

Technology evaluation of needs (MVED)

Select and purchase Access training on

selected technology

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #5(not in priority order)

TEAMING WITH GENERAL ED

Continued need to communicate and collaborate with general ed staff for• Student Programming

• Modifications

• Accommodations

• Progress

• Differentiating in the classroom

Our Solution

Include special ed rep on all curriculum area reviews

Expand co-teaching pilot

Continue participation in Time for Teams

Continue August collaboration meetings for SpEd and GenEd

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #6(not in priority order)

Information Overload!• New mandates / IDEIA• Statewide Testing Requirements

Need site, district, Ed District support• Knowledge of SpEd teachers’ responsibilities• Current Best Practices and Good Job Design• Access to specially designed instructional resources

Without this help, we do it ourselves and:• We Lose student contact time• Our energies are focused on program management

HELPWANTED

Our Solution

Request MVED leadership attend our Child Study meetings

Frequent classroom visits Centralized training from

MVED for districts Centralized speakers Monthly 1/2 day Info

meetings with school reps

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #7(not in priority order)

ACHIEVEMENT MEASURES

IDIEA reauthorization requires • research-based assessments• accountability for achievement and recording

progress

District initiatives• using Formative Assessment• Using Data to Inform instruction

Our Solution

Request District Staff Development Team include training in formative assessments in 07-08

Learn how to use Sagebrush for tracking and analyzing student achievement

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #8(not in priority order)

New IDEIA (Individuals with Disabilities Education

Improvement Act) also requires that instruction in

special education program and relatedservices provided in the IEP

must be

research-based

Our Solution

Reach out to MSUM partners

Teachers investigate tools & strategies this summer

Seek training on new tools & strategies

Request subscriptions to professional journals

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #9(not in priority order)

DISTRICT-WIDE COMMUNICATIONSpecial Educators often work alone, in isolation. They need:

• Time to collaborate with each other about strategies and tools

• Time to engage in meaningful conversations about their job and job stress

• A forum for thinking through and discussing conflict, confusion, and the demands of their jobs

Our Solution

Meet as a K-12 team in August retreat

Meet consistently throughout the year with agendas set by the team

Special Ed’s Greatest Challenge #10(not in priority order)

EFFECTIVE STAFFING DECISIONS

Challenge presented by administrators in June 2006:

• Can we describe the Special Ed workload in quantifiable terms?

• What is an objective way to determine assignments and staffing in SpEd?

Our Solution

Develop a workload analysis based on services and responsibilities of each teacher based on a design in place in Hastings

Create a spreadsheet to calculate workload ratios which could be easily revised

Work with administration to interpret data and refine the model as needed.

Special Education at LSH

The Mission of Special Education

at LSH is to

empower studentswith complex social and educational challenges

to recognize and optimizetheir full potential.

Special Education at LSH

Questions?

Special Education Student Percentages 2006-2007

(Not including Speech-Language)

11.70%13.79%

18.50%

23.26%

10.81%

18.18%

12.70%

22.22%

15.31%

11.86%

7.87%

11.48%10.28%

12.84%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

StateAveDistrict

Ave GR 1 GR 2 GR 3 GR 4 GR 5 GR 6 GR 7 GR 8 GR 9GR 10 GR 11 GR 12

Grade

# of Students

Special Education Student Percentages 2006-2007

(Not including Speech-Language)

18.50%

23.26%

10.81%

18.18%

12.70%

22.22%

15.31%

11.86%10.28%

12.84%11.48%

7.87%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

GR 1 GR 2 GR 3 GR 4 GR 5 GR 6 GR 7 GR 8 GR 9GR 10 GR 11 GR 12

Grade

# of Students

Percentage Breakdown by Disability(Not including Speech-Language)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

StateDistrict

GR 1GR 2GR 3GR 4GR 5GR 6GR 7GR 8GR 9GR 10GR 11GR 12

Grade

Percentage

OTHERASDDCDOHDEBDSLD

Special Education Students by Disability

12

3 1 1 2 2 1 1

1

2

7

47

3

10

25

2

64

1

4

2

2

3

3

22

61

3

3

5

1

4

5 24

3

1

1

1

14

11

1

1

1

1

1

31

1

5

1

1

1

6

4

4

0

5

10

15

20

25

ECSE

K

GR 1 GR 2 GR 3 GR 4 GR 5 GR 6 GR 7 GR 8 GR 9GR 10GR 11GR 12

Grade

# of Students

OTHER

ASD

DCD

OHD

EBD

SLD

Speech/Lang.

Dev. Delay