March 22, 2017
Dear Members of the Joint Committee on Public Schools:
My name is Paul Barbato, and it is my honor to represent the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association. I thank you for this opportunity to share some ideas with your important committee.
A) Regionalized Shared Services
Currently, I serve as a Director of Special Services with the Dumont public school district, which is in Bergen County. In order to meet the many needs facing school districts for services for children with special needs, Bergen County has taken the step of dividing its districts into 7 geographical regions for service delivery. My school district is one of 13 school districts in this regional delivery model. The school districts, within their respective regions, developed a variety of shared programs and services, rather than each district having to “reinvent the wheel” duplicating services with their neighboring district, and hiring staff to oversee these services. A variety of shared services and programs that are available include:
- IEP driven related services: Transportation, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy;
- Behavioral supports for parents after school;
- School based behavioral supports;
- Social skills programs / summer programs for children;
- Professional development for district personnel;
- Additional Child Study Team evaluators for school districts as needed; and
- Negotiated rates with physicians for specialized evaluations.
This model continues to be viable and cost efficient for school districts and could be replicated in other counties in New Jersey. As noted, districts do not have to identify or hire staff to organize, arrange, and/or secure these services. In addition, the following benefits have been identified by districts participating in this model:
- Students have been maintained in-district due to the high level of behavioral supports provided by the Regional model;
- The regional model affords districts the ability to centralize contracts, payments, as well as coordination of specific services; and
- Transportation route costs are shared by districts who send students to same programs.
A consideration for the Committee and the Department of Education would be to have meetings among districts not participating in a regional model with current regional and district Directors to learn about the model, including the positive program options and cost savings that have resulted.
B) Affiliation agreements with Higher Education Institutions
With the number of students exhibiting social-emotional difficulties, school districts may not be equipped to provide appropriate proactive and responsive services to address these needs. School districts in Bergen County have affiliation agreements with higher education institutions that provide school based internships for students enrolled with graduate school psychologist and school social worker programs. These affiliation agreements allow for graduate students to serve within the public school setting as part of their requirements for NJDOE certification. As a result, school districts benefit from additional support, whether the interns serve as consultants to school personnel and parents or provide direct services to students, under the supervision of certified school personnel.
A consideration for the Committee and the Department of Education would be to facilitate meetings with districts with identified affiliation agreements with higher education institutions, for districts that are looking to establish these partnerships.
Thank you for the opportunity to present our experience in Bergen County as one innovative approach toward meeting the needs of our students with disabilities.
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