ISSRC Meeting Notes
Meeting Type: Special Ed subcommittee
Date: January 9, 2015 8:00-2:30
In attendance: Amy Jernigan, Signe Pierce, Sara Edwards, Bill Mosiman, Janice Petaja, Meg Evans, Diane Leonetti, Julie Goldsmith, Melinda Reynvaan, Tina Lemmon, Karen Connors
Agenda:
●Review Mission Statement
●Review Parent Survey
●Consultant review of K-12 SpEd; ideas, discussion and plan
●IEP/Eval online programs status and plan
●Board update for January 15; content and presenters
ISS SpEd Subcommittee Mission Statement:
Ensure a quality Special Education program that:
●accelerates academic growth
●supports individual student goals
●promotes independence and future readiness
BISD Mission Statement:
Every student should be future ready:
●prepare for college
●prepare for global workplace
●prepare for personal success
Parent Survey:
Insights:
●outcome similar for all three questions presented
●responses indicated concern that “consistency” might mean “not individualized”
●how to have successful inclusion
●better training/involvement of general ed staff
●generalize Circle of Friends connections into classrooms/across ed environment
Discussion of consistency of program versus individualization of services
●elementary school building and differences in SpEd services
●consistency in terms of curriculum and fidelity of its instruction
●consistency training, and supports
●IEP Team determines individual services, instruction must address those individual goals
●Consistency is valuable in curriculum when staff is trained and common curriculum is available
●Curriculum can address commonalities in students needs
●District/Building programs are a result of grouping together students with similar needs, ie. ASD program, EBD program
Actions/Ideas/Concerns:
●Concern/stress for teachers asked to move buildings because of program moves
●Process to maintain/store curriculum/materials for SpEd grade levels/programs (SpEd curriculum inventory and manager)
●Two year programs at Sakai and Woodward that increase number of school/building transitions, and make program development for 2 years only and fewer students challenging
●Future question - Is it possible to restructure SpEd at these grades to decrease impact on students and programming;
○How to communicate that there might be a way to provide flexibility and support;
○How to provide choices for parents/students (peers versus transitions)
○Can we provide a better understanding and process for discussion of these options
○Flow chart or framework for consistency of process in making these determinations
●Access to equivalent program and services across grade levels and moving up through grade levels
●SpEd is more expensive because of configuration of schools (2 years at SAK, WMS)
●Is there trend data on special education student entry and transition points? (Bill has been doing this for the past few years. April 15th is a good target data to take make decisions regarding projections for the upcoming year.)
●Are Resource Room programs consistent across four elementaries, and as we move up/down the grade levels
○what are the weaknesses in program consistency?
■inconsistency of identifying the program appropriate for a student (RR, ILC, EBD) and as they transition to Sakai - how to address the inconsistencies and determine appropriate placement;
■inconsistency of service minutes
■inconsistency of pull-out versus inclusion in GenEd
■inconsistency of level of support in-class because of greater number of students at ordway versus number of students at BLK,WLK
●High School programs/services (ILC, RR, etc)
Discussed current changes being planned in course offerings for next year including Collection of Evidence, Achieve, Basic Math.
Review of PreK-12 services within the Framework of Tier System
●Technical innovation versus an adaptive innovation
●Change Frame of Reference to Tier 3 services?
●Consistency and continuity
●Flexibility and differentiation
Reference point isn’t special ed, but is a Tier III system within each school as part of Tier system. Such as:
Tier 1 - general ed
Tier 2- striving/struggling learners
Tier 3 - RR-type students and other high-needs SpEd, ELL
Tier 3 Intensive - Low incidence
What is consistent curriculum and build it all the way through…
What data do we need to collect?
Curriculum (reading, math, writing)
●What curriculum has been purchased in last two year (is it being used?)
●What old curriculum is being used?
●What is district adopted curriculum? What options are used, available?
●Tier II piece needs further definition of curriculum available
●Curriculum mapping to date is K-8
●Need to look at Social/Emotional/Behavioral curriculum across district in terms of Tiers
●What Tier III programs are currently in place at all levels, including/especially secondary level?
●What do “best practice” blended Tiered programs look like?
●Do we need a field trip to Franklin Pierce? Issaquah?
●What are “homework assistance” options across district?
●Curriculum K-8 and HS?
Create a snap shot of programs - Curriculum Map
Objectives: The Tier III committee will identify Tier III curriculum - Math, Reading, Writing, Soc/Emo/Beh
Action Plan:
●Collect data around Curriculum and Caseload
●Clean-up/redraft questions
●Provide to Gordy and Val data and questions for them to reformulate into an Interview Opportunity for SpEd Teacher, Paras, ESAs
●Progress update (briefing/talking points) on ISS program review - a committee report to each school/all staff - Monday 2/2 for Building Day
●Use School Board presentation to formulate Talking Points for all staff
●Written communication to SpEd Staff to prep for data gathering and interviews
IEP/Eval online programs status and plan
Choices: IEP Online OR Goalview
●Both interface with Skyward and State data base
●WA state 143 districts use IEP online; 17 districts use Goalview
●What are fundamental differences?
●Demos available from company
●Training and support available
Next Steps and Calendar:
Visitations to exemplar schools - late March
Evaluation/IEP online demonstrations - next Individual Early Release day 2/23
Next ISS SpEd Subcommittee 2/6 11:30-3:30 w/Gordy and Val
and 3/12 8:00-2:30
Need to develop a common vocabulary around RTI, Tiers, etc
Need to involve paras,counselors, psychs in the RTI district training - need to check with training
Gordy and Val will lead a community/parent meeting after data gathered and further direction formulated