Mama Program, Llc

MAMA PROGRAM, LLC

1st STAFF CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 13, 2013

9 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M.

SCHOOL YEAR 2013-2014

MAMA PROGRAM LLC

FIRST STAFF CONFERENCE SY 2013-2014

9:00 am to 2:00 pm

SEPT. 13, 2013

I.  WARM-UP EXERCISE

II.  REVIEW OF SEIT RESPONSIBILITIES

A.  JOB SUMMARY

B.  SERVICE DELIVERY: INFORMATION DISCUSSED WITH PARENTS

-  SEIT INTRODUCTION OF SELF AND AGENCY

-  HOURS OF SERVICE/WEEK, MISSED SESSIONS

-  SCHOOL CALENDAR, HOLIDAYS, CLASS DAYS

-  SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS

-  PERMANENT STUDY PLACE

-  GOALS/OBJECTIVES DURING THE SESSION

-  REQUIRED PRESENCE AND SIGNATURE OF PARENTS ON SESSION NOTES

-  AGENCY QUESTIONNAIRE ON PARENTS FEEDBACK RE: CAREGIVER

-  PROGRESS REPORTS: QUARTERLY, ANNUAL, AGING OUT

-  COMMUNICATION ON PROGRESS AND CONCERNS

-  QUESTION AND ANSWER

C.  PAPER WORKS

-  BILLING

-  OTHERS

D.  COORDINATION

E.  MEETINGS

-  MONTHLY TEAM MEETING

-  CPSE MEETING

F.  SERVICE MODIFICATION: INCREASE OR DECREASE OF SERVICE HRS, ETC.

G.  CONFIDENTIALITY

BREAKTIME

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III.  DOCUMENTATIONS

A.  SESSION NOTES: GUIDELINES AND SAMPLES

B.  CURRICULUM MAP: MINI WORKSHOP

·  WHAT IT IS

·  HANDS-ON

C.  CHILD’S PORTFOLIO: WORKSHEET, PICTURE, ETC.

D.  OTHERS:

-  WHITE CARDS

-  CALENDAR

-  CPSE SCHEDULE

-  1ST & LAST ATTEND DATE

-  COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS: NOTEBOOK (IF CHILD IS IN A DAY CARE OR SCHOOL), VERBAL, PHONE

IV.  BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT :

-  DEFINED

-  POSSIBLE CAUSES

-  WHAT WORKS/WHAT DON’T

-  SHARING EXPERIENCES

-  QUESTION AND ANSWER

V.  SEIT EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR OBSERVATION

VI.  APPENDIX:

A.  IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE S.E.I.T.

B.  IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE PARENT

VII.  QUESTION AND ANSWER

VIII.  EVALUATION

IX.  DISTRIBUTION OF CERTIFICATES

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

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INTRODUCTION

This handbook has been especially prepared for the use of the Special Education Itinerant Teacher (thereafter to be referred as S.E.I.T) employed by MAMA Program, LLC. It provides relevant guidance and information that conforms to various guidelines served by New York State Education Laws and Regulations governing the provision of services for children with disabilities by the S.E.I.T.

The S.E.I.T needs and is expected to read and to be thoroughly familiar with aforementioned state laws and regulations by checking www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/ laws and -regs/200contents with occasional updates on them at www.vesid.nysed.gov/ specialed/ publications.

To all MAMA Program, LLC S.E.I.T.s welcome and feel free to peruse this manual provided with different helpful information and resources to facilitate the discharge of your critical role of insuring excellent education for assigned special preschoolers to make them kindergarten ready to the best of your ability.

MANAGEMENT

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.  INTRODUCTION P. i

II.  STAFF CONFERENCE AGENDA PP. ii - iii

III.  SPECIAL EDUCATION ITINERANT TEACHER PP. 1 - 4

·  JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

·  SERVICE DELIVERY

IV.  CURRICULUM GUIDELINES AND ESSENTIALS PP. 4 - 8

·  SCHOOL CALENDAR

·  GUIDELINES

·  CURRICULUM MAP

·  SESSION NOTES

·  CHILD’S PORTFOLIO

·  COMMUNICATION WITH CHILD’S PARENTS

V.  BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT PP. 8 - 10

VI.  ABSENCES PP. 10- 11

VII.  EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR OBSERVATION P. 12

VIII.  RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE

S.E.I.T.’S CONDUCT PP. 12- 14

IX. IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS AND CONTACT

INFORMATION P. 14

X. APPENDIX A INFORMATION FOR THE S.E.I.T. PP. 15- 17

XI. APPENDIX B INFORMATION FOR PARENTS PP. 17-18

XII. APPENDIX C SAMPLE SESSION NOTES PP. 19-20

XIV. APPENDIX D QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT/

GUIDELINES P. 20

SPECIAL EDUCATION ITINERANT TEACHER

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

JOB SUMMARY:

As defined in section 4410 (1) K of Education Law and Section 200.16 a SEIT is a certified Special Education Teacher providing an alternative educational service to a child with disability aged 3.0 to 5 years at home or in a variety of mainstream setting 1:1 or with a group of children. The group setting can be in a private or public early childhood learning centers and programs, public schools, hospitals. In the latter setting the S.E.I.T. provides service directly or indirectly in collaboration with different early childhood professionals to meet the special child’s I.E.P. objectives in a natural or least restricted environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

( Relevant details will be provided on the following pages for each noted responsibility)

1.  SERVICE DELIVERY : For each assigned case

a)  Upon receipt of the assignment – Have the child’s I.E.P. package on hand. Read carefully the entire package focusing on the child’s evaluation, his/her strengths, needs and targeted I.E.P. goals and objectives

b)  Call the child’s parents (within 3 business days) to inform them about the assignment and arrange an appointment for the first session.

c)  First Session/Visit: Provide an orientation with regards to the following:

·  Background introduction of SEIT to parent or to the mainstream agency Director

·  Service schedule (frequency, duration and intensity of service to be provided)

·  School calendar of sessions, holidays, etc.

·  Missed session/s (by SEIT or student) and make-ups

·  Description of what transpires during a session (requires parent’s presence during the session and securing his/her signature at the end of the session)

·  Teaching strategies, tools,

·  Behavior management techniques

·  Feedback on the child’s progress and other concerns

·  Needed support to reinforce emerging or acquired skill

Cont. p. 2

·  The need for a space conducive to learning

·  Observation visit by the Agency’s Educational Director (announced or unannounced)

·  Meeting and getting acquainted with the case, making him/her feel comfortable

2.  Paper works as follows must be submitted to the Agency according to following specific deadlines:

a)  Immediately after the first session submit in person or by fax

·  First attend date/case (Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday but cannot be Thursday or Friday)

·  Parent introduction letter

·  Emergency home contact form

·  Service assignment form

b)  For monthly billing (5th of each month)

·  Original copy of session notes

·  Original copy of monthly invoice (each individual case)

·  Original copy of monthly summary invoice

·  Copy of white card (no erasures or white out)

·  Calendar

·  Provider’s Schedule

·  CPSE Schedule (SEIT is responsible for monitoring related service/s provision of a case assignment)

·  Monthly Team Meeting (Contact with related service providers through another Agency)

·  Only as needed: SEIT make-up session note/s, student absence note

c)  Quarterly: (November, February, May and August (for cases with a 12 months service)

d)  Age-out Reports (for children born in 2009): due first week of January

e)  As Needed: Request to Amend I.E.P. (Change of location/Increase or Decrease Hours of Service/Termination of Service/ Change from 10 months to 12 months/Additional Evaluation

3.  Coordination of Related Services – at least once a month contact must be done with related service providers to discuss the student’s progress and concern, needed coordination to insure that required services are effective towards the attainment of the I.E.P. goals.

4.  Participation and attendance to CPSE meetings when asked

5.  Upholds need to maintain confidentiality of all information about assigned cases.

Cont. p. 3

SERVICE DELIVERY

PRESCHOOL SETTING (DAY CARE, EARLY LEARNING CENTERS)

There are times when service for an assigned case is delivered in a school setting as authorized by the school district. This happens when the child is enrolled in: Headstart, day care, preschool, or early learning center. In this kind of arrangement, the SEIT’s role is primarily to provide modeling, assistance or support to the child as he/she participates or join classmates doing routine or scheduled activities such as the large group activity of singing greetings, calendar, weather, storytelling, active play, music and movement, etc. Or, to facilitate engagement with the materials and equipment available during choice or center time. The S.E.I.T. needs to be flexible and adjust/adapt his/her plan to what is going on in her student’s classroom. She can also at times volunteer to do a class activity that partly supports the attainment of his child’s I.E.P. which at the same time gives practical ideas that enhance or add to what the regular teaching staff know or implement. There are objectives in the child’s I.E.P. however, when the S.E.I.T. needs to pull out his/her special student to a quieter space (hallway, cubby area) for the planned activities during a given session. Request the site Director to allow you to work with your student in that space, explaining tactfully the need and importance of such a setting vis-à-vis certain specific targeted I.E.P. goals or objectives.

HOME

When a case is not enrolled in a preschool, sessions would usually be provided at the child’s home. Be sure to bring enough assorted and developmentally appropriate educational materials or tools for the different planned activities supportive of targeted objectives during a particular session. The session provided at home should be the same as if the student was receiving the service in school. The session done should consist of activities done by the S.E.I.T 1:1 with the student as well as discussion with the parent to suggest indirect learning strategies and recommendations on how to reinforce skills being taught. He/She can lend materials to the family but if the family has available materials use these home materials so that when the S.E.I.T. is not there his/her parents can provide help in using the toys appropriately.

Cont. p. 4

During the first session and whenever needed, remind the child’s parent/s that all throughout the session one of the parents or a guardian must be present that the SEIT is not allowed to be left alone with the student. The same guideline applies to bringing the child outside to the library, a park or a yard, the guardian or parent has to be present. In addition, the S.E.I.T. is mandated to report any situation or concern in the home about unsafe condition/s such as uncovered outlets, peeling paint, windows without screens, etc. Inform the Executive Director or the Educational Director for any problem in this regard.

CURRICULUM GUIDELINES AND ESSENTIALS

SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

MAMA Program, LLC has its own approved school calendar that its employed S.E.I.Ts must observe in the performance of their work. The calendar provides 180 school days for the regular school year (September to June) and six weeks for the summer program. Services for each child are scheduled according to the frequency and duration as determined during the convened CPSE and written I.E.P. of a specific child. Sessions can be done only during the approved official work hours, that is to say, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. They cannot be scheduled outside these hours, during weekends, legal holidays, scheduled staff conference/s and recess. For the ten month program children must be seen on the first and last day. For the twelve month program the child must be seen during the first and last day of the summer program. If the school calendar for the summer session begins on July 1st and the child is not seen until July 7th, the child will only be eligible to receive five (5) weeks of service. If the Department of Education announces classes closure due to inclement weather conditions or other emergency situations, the S.E.I.T. should contact the Executive Director or the Educational Director whether or not to provide service that day and when to schedule a make-up session instead.

GUIDELINES

MAMA PROGRAM, LLC uses an eclectic curriculum whereby the S.E.I.T. is allowed to apply an individually preferred methodology such as the High Scope Curriculum, Creative

Cont. p. 5

Curriculum, Applied Behavioral Analysis (A.B.A.), etc. combined with some other approaches that he/she finds effective from her acquired graduate degree, his/her personal teaching experience and or information obtained from attended conferences and reading of field researches contained in professional journals.

As he/she teaches an assigned student with whatever methodology he/she uses he/she must abide at all times by the following early childhood principles and effective practices:

·  Children are active learners and they learn best through purposeful play and exploration

·  All children are capable of learning, achieving and making developmental progress

·  Every child is different. No two children are exactly the same in any way.

·  Each child passes through the different phases of learning at different rates as affected by environmental and hereditary factors.

·  The growth of various domains of a child (physical, social-emotional, intelligence, etc.) do not occur at the same time

·  Educational activities/tools used must be developmentally appropriate and interesting to the child being served

·  Punishment is not allowed at anytime in dealing with a child’s misbehavior

·  Children respond well to positive reinforcement and/or token tangible rewards for a completed activity

·  The S.E.I.T to be effective must know developmental characteristics of children and be aware of his/her student’s developmental level, strengths and weaknesses.

·  The S.E.I.T. should be open to regular communication with his/her student’s parents and other service providers about his/her student’s progress, concerns and need for collaboration.

CURRICULUM MAP

The curriculum map like the travel direction map is an educational tool to be used by the S.E.I.T. to enable her to responsibly and carefully plan and track educational activities for every assigned case. In preparing an individual curriculum map, the S.E.I.T. must see to it that the written plan consciously aligns the achievement of targeted goals/objectives with NYS Preschool Core Standard of Learning and/or the NYS Prekindergarten Learning Standards which aim to have both the typical and the special child to be kindergarten ready. Thus, the S.E.I.T. as he/she prepares every curriculum map for assigned case/s

Cont. p. 6

he/she must use activities and teaching strategies that would allow opportunity/ties not only for integration among disciplines but also periodic review and assessment. Likewise, the S.E.I.T. should see to it that his/her plan provides a balance of teacher-directed and student initiated activities thus avoiding redundant teaching. Finally, it should mention recommend-ed family involvement (activities or tools to help achieve or reinforce targeted goals/ objectives).

The S.E.I.T prepares a curriculum map for every assigned case on the form provided by this Agency. It must be submitted to the office by the 5th of the month of which it is to be implemented. Since it serves as a guide, it follows that whatever unrealized objective and activities of an ending month should be transferred to the curriculum map of the following month. The session notes for the month should always reflect the activities and assessment method /s written on the curriculum map.