Special Education

Focus Group

October 20, 2003 Meeting Notes

Representatives in attendance:

Sue Alfawicki, Elementary Resource

Donna Davis, MS Resource

Stew Egbert, HS Resource

Yvette Casto, ESSSs/Psychologists

Debora Haney, Early Childhood/Preschool

Kathy Gann, Speech Language Pathologists & Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Diane Delahunty, OT/PT & Blind/Vision Impaired

Leslie Knudsen, EBD & Behavior Specialist

Mary Lindsey, Lifeskills

Lucille Nollette, Compliance

Kenn Robinson, Directors

Sue Thomas, Facilitator

• Topic: IA Usage
• Summary:
  • No significance to shading on form (this is the document that comes from HR)
  • Add to page 19 "SpEd/St Specific - open-3 hours- charge to Mt. Baker
  • 12.9 hours of aide time/day left for use as emergency sub aide time
  • Aides paid for by Student Services are on SpEd list but are not deducted from our allotted time
  • "Integrated K" will be dropped next year and the aide who has been assigned to this program will be assigned as "SpEd Resource"
• Next Steps:
  • Sue will check to find out what the letter following "Sen-Date" means (IA-091697- B ) and report back to group

   

• Topic: IA Evaluation
• Summary:
  • Birchwood Student Needs Matrix establishes activities and times when adult help is needed
  • Develop IEP criteria for diminishing 1:1 IA time
• Next steps:
  •   Lucille will share matrix at next meeting, after meeting w/parent and Birchwood staff
  •   Lucille will teach teachers at the "IEP Success" workshop on Dec. 15 how to explain aide need on IEP under 'specially designed instruction', or 'supplementary services', or 'present levels'
  •   Teachers will describe how and when an adult is needed, and not use the works '1:1 aide' or 'student specific'
  •   Should be developing criteria for all services, not just diminishing 1:1
  •   State in positive terms of services needed
  •   Sue and Lucille will design model for IEP documentation and report

• Topic: IA assignment(s)
• Summary:

• Should a playground aide supervise Lifeskills student

• Next step:
  • Future topic

• Topic: Working with Paraprofessionals
• Summary: This is publication from OSPI. It is available to read on the OSPI website. All special ed certificated staff and principals have received copies.
• Next Step: Group will read and consider for future discussion

• Topic: Communication with Staff
• Summary: Sue has sent current names of special ed staff to network services
• Next Step: Representatives will set up personal mail groups as needed

• Topic: IEP-Related Time (approx ½ day/week)
• Summary:
  • Elementary teachers are either using the time or are now aware that they can take the time.
  • Time is being used as Sue hoped it would be
  • Middle School - there is a lot of confusion
  • High School - unsure-Sehome does have a plan and may be paying for their own subs..Squalicum has a facilitation period built into their day
  • Teachers are having difficulty planning how to take time out of their schedule Some are not taking a planning time
  • Lucille presented some other models: SpEd academic classes schedule, 1 teacher per grade level, teaming..Each model has advantages and disadvantages
  • Lucille defined SpEd as specially designed instruction.

• Next Steps:

• Teachers without IEP-related time will talk with Principals to schedule the time
• Teachers need a clear message reg the time, and expectations to Principals
• Stew will poll other high school Resource teachers to see how time is being used
• Sue will write brief explanation of 3.75 hours/week IEP related activity and send to Stew
• SpEd teachers need to draw parameters around services, not do regular ed. job.

• Topic: Short-Term Priority Task 03-04
• Summary: Sue presented list developed 6/03 by previous Focus Group
  • Have reduced consultant contracts.Consultants are being used to develop in-house experts
  • Money is being provided for specialized materials.
  • Mini-presentations. One topic - "Role Definitions"
  • Stop doing things that are not SpEd..Gen. Ed. teachers want a place for students who "blow-out"..Gen.Ed. teachers talk about "Your kid".Ownership ends when student is a problem.
  • Appropriate space - poll: space, furniture, computer, # of people, "from day #1" is still a
  • Problem

• Next Steps:
  • Alison Moors will co-present structured teaching workshop series in March.
  • UW contracted for Autism workshops
  • Give budgets to programs
  • Mary L. will share books with mini-lessons
  • Send suggestions to Sue
  • Lucille and Sue will bring topics to group in December
  • Collaboration helps
  • Develop IEP with general ed teacher to make clear roles/specialized instruction
  • Eliminate Behavior Plan steps that state, "When student misbehaves, he is sent to Resource Room"...Need to train teachers and have more collaboration.
  • Good topic for mini-presentations
  • OT/PT, ESSS and SLP will poll their constituencies regarding availability of space, furniture, computers, etc.

• Topic: Long Range Priority Tasks
• Summary:

1. Program continuum

• -IA time vs. teacher time
• -How to appropriately program for those students needing lots of special education
• -Inclusion as a model
• -Should we staff based on weighting students
• -Gather program information from other districts

2. FEPP

• -Is one needed as a requirement to NCLB
• -Already have Parent Advisory Group
• -Previous problems around when to meet

3. Publicize information/events

4. Training for gen.ed. teachers

5. Simplify data collection

6. Technology to cut down paperwork

7. Tech in classroom - Zangle is good for some reports, still having trouble with others

8. Next meeting - Grade level transition

9. Next meeting - Vocational options

• Next Steps:
  • Next meeting is December 4 ,th, 8:00-10:30 am..remember January 23 rd is a full-day working meeting
  • Sue T. will talk to Susan Zoller to determine if FEPP is required by NCLB
  • Lavelle is taking pictures of special ed activities
  • Sue, Lucille, Jacquolyn will work on web page this week
  • Conduct research on own using search engines
  • Autism workshop was offered
  • Making minor changes on IEP form
  • Working on Zangle database
  • Consider IEP-writer software and potentially using state forms
  • Sue T. will bring hard copy of state forms to next Group meeting
  • ESSS & Psychs are looking at state forms
  • Our IEP needs space to check off if Procedural Safeguard booklet received
  • Curriculum software is being provided in classrooms