Welcome to River Dell Middle School Transitioning to 7th Grade April 5th, 2017

The Topics for Today An overview of the Department of Special Services Information about River Dell Middle School The district’s transition process How will my student be supported? And by who? The IEP process Technology support: Laptops,programs,etc. Communication with staff Finding district information and information regarding my student Questions from you

Department of Special Services-Middle School Programs and Services General Education: General education with ICS -Resource: All content areas -Learning/Language Disability (LLD) Flexible Scheduling-if needed -Care Plus-School Based Counseling -Social Skills Groups -Related Services (OT,PT, Speech) -Study Skills Extended School Year

Transitioning Students to 7th Grade District communication with Oradell and River Edge Annual transition meeting with Oradell and River Edge Case management assignment to current 6th grade students River Dell case managers attending IEP meetings Parent presentations (i.e. Open House, Special Education) District counselor visits to Oradell and River Edge Preliminary and final schedules: June and August Summer BBQ for 7th grade students Confirmation of River Dell case manager assignment: Summer letter

Staff Supporting Classified 7th Grade Students Case managers School Counselors: Ms. Ross/Ms. Braconi ELA and Math teacher pairings World Civilization and Science teacher pairings School Nurse Student Assistance Counselor Administration Support staff (i.e aides)

Case Managers and the IEP Process Case managers remain your case manager through middle school and high school. Facilitating teacher participation, academic feedback, program recommendations, accommodations, modifications, transition, and state testing accommodations (PARCC). Speech-only students: Speech therapist remains case manager The IEP process does not change for the RDMS student and parent. Annual Reviews/Triennial evaluations Transition-Age 14 (interests,high school course plans) Communication as to parent concerns Case manager-student contact for student input

Standardized Testing: PARCC and NAEP PARCC: Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers -Grades 3-8 and high school -ELA and Math -Aligned to Common Core NAEP: National Assessment of Academic Progress - NAEP provides results on subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment for populations of students (e.g., 8th grade) and groups within those populations (e.g., male and female students). - NAEP does not provide scores for individual students or schools. - NAEP results are based on representative samples of students at grades 4, 8, and 12 for the main assessments.

PARCC: The Class of 2021 and Beyond Starting with the class of 2021 (this years 8th grade class) students will have two paths to meet the high school graduation assessment requirements: Pass the ELA 10 and Algebra 1 assessments; or Submission of portfolios through the NJDOE portfolio appeals process To be eligible for the portfolio process students must take the PARCC and receive a valid score Universal accommodations and IEP accommodations for PARCC District steps to ensure implementation of PARCC accommodations

Section 504 Supports “504” comes from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is a civil rights statute guaranteeing equal access to all programs through appropriate accommodations. Eligibility is determined by any disability that substantially limits a major life activity Accommodations are determined by an evaluation team, which includes the parents, school nurse, counselor, instructional staff, and an administrator. Differences between Section 504 and IDEA

Technology Support at RDMS Lap Tops What You May Hear Your Student Using River Dell is a 1:1 lap top district Students receive their laptops in September Students will receive an introduction to their laptop Students can bring their lap tops home Technology support throughout the year Microsoft One Note Achieve 3000 (Reading) Moby Max (Vocabulary) On-Line Text Books Turnitin.com IXL:On-Line Math Practice

Communication and Information Access Communication with your student’s case manager Communication with teachers Communication with administration Progress Reports School Messenger Constant Contact SEPAG-Parent group Genesis Parent Portal Teacher School Wires Page Counselor Pages Case Manager Pages Special Services web page: Riverdell.org, click on departments,click on special services SEPAG-parent group

Special Education Parent Advisory Group The River Dell Special Education Parent Advisory Group is a state- mandated group of parents, educators, and individuals concerned about the children with special needs and learning disabilities. The goal of the advisory group is to facilitate communication between students, parents, staff, the Board of Education, and the community. The group communicates issues surrounding the districts special education program, for the purpose of advising the Board of Education and administration on matters pertaining to improving the quality of special education The parent liaison for parent advisory group is Mr. Paul Tina. He can be contacted via e-mail at: ptptmt@verizon.net Come June of 2017 the district will be seeking a new parent liaison

Final thoughts… Communication with staff as soon as issues arise or there is a question. Encourage your student to take positive risk (sports, club, making new friends). Encourage self-advocacy (speaking with teachers,counselors, case managers, and attending IEP meetings). Stay connected to your student’s social media activity. Check teachers’ Week-at-a-Glance for class topics, assignments,etc.

Questions