Special Education

Focus Group

December 13, 2005 Meeting Notes

Representatives in attendance:

Marci Anderson, Elementary Resource

Sean Shaughnessy, Middle School Resource

Deborah Monroe, Psychologist

Diane Delahunty, OT/PTs & VI

Karen-Margrethe Bruun, SLPs & DHH

Jennifer Woods, EC-Preschool

Leslie Knudsen, EBD

Heidi Belmondo, Life Skills

Lucille Nollette, Directors

Teresa VanHaalen,  Elementary Admin

Ann Buswell, Secondary Admin

David Frick, Elementary Paraeducator

Peter Chorney, Secondary Paraeducator

Sue Thomas, Meeting Facilitator – Agent

Jeanette Herrera - Guest

Representatives unable to attend:

Bethany Verner, High School Resource

Topic:  SECURE Training

Summary: 

• Purpose:

Chosen because located in Washington State

Needed training around behavior interventions

Secure has grown to include all district programs

Administrators take training as well

General Ed teachers have expressed interest

Purpose of positive behavior intervention plan is to help students gain equal access to General Ed curriculum.

Aversive interventions very rarely used

Reasonable force or restraint is sometimes necessary to help prevent student from harming self or others.

Restraint is not an aversive intervention

Positive intervention must be used concurrently

• SECURE is not a part of Board policy. 

Doesn’t really fit under this policy

All staff must see PowerPoint on student/staff injury reporting policy

• We are covered under liability policy assuming we are acting in a reasonable way
• Being SECURE trained does not mean that you should be called into behavioral problems.
• Could buildings designate a group of people as a “response team”
• Do we want to switch ownership of behaviors from Admin. to the team?
• Roosevelt has program where everyone in the building takes ownership of behaviors
• Seems like Leslie is becoming overwhelmed with training

Are there plans to bring on another training?

Perhaps ESD can provide trainer.

Next Steps:

• Provide training around functional behavioral assessment and behavioral intervention plan

Using iep.online format

• Check to see that buildings are showing the “Safety PowerPoint”
• Staff should communicate with Sue or Lucille if they are being routinely called in to take care of behavioral issues

Individuals should not routinely be pulled away from designated assignment to deal with behaviors.

• We are beginning to send new folks to ESD for initial training

Topic:  Certificated and Classified Staffing

Summary: 

• We do have a standard for staffing

Reduce on reliance on student specific IA’s      

              Current #’s:

Elem Res = 1.0 certified/7.0 Prog. IA

              MS Res = 3 teachers/ 8 IA

              HS Res = 4 teachers/ 13 IA/ 5 secretary/ 6.5 job coach

              Comm Trans = 2 teachers/ 10 IA/ 6.5 job coach

              Average M.S. + Elem. is 25 students

              M.S. low #’s:  Fairhaven to lose FTE – not now

              How do we provide equity?

              Student Specific IA’s:

                            Proposals come to Sue Thomas

What is it about student’s need that standard staffing is not fully able to address needs?

Requests have changed from 1 student specific to having an IA cover up to 2 students.

Filling in the gaps in student scheduling

Next Steps:

Student specific time request must come from Principal, not from general education.