Parent Workshop: Creating A Culture of Belonging Special Education Department June 2005

Three P’s…  Purpose  Process  Pay-off

Topical Overview  PJ Case Overview  Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)  Neighborhood and Home School Concept Magnet Schools and LRE  Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and Access to General Education  Individual Education Plans (IEPs)  Creating A Culture of Belonging: Inclusion  Adult Support and 1:1 Paraprofessionals

PJ Case  Connecticut case brought forward by small group of parents;  PJ is a student with intellectual disabilities;  Parents battled to have PJ in general education setting;  Resulted in concept of providing appropriate education in neighborhood school;  Time with Non- disabled Peers

Home School Concept  Many students will return to neighborhood school;  Some students may be placed at school nearest home;  Results in increased parent involvement;  Magnet School acceptance becomes Home School;  Developing short- term and long-term plan for moving students, programs, and resources;

Least Restrictive Environment  General education setting in Home School is first step in determining LRE;  District is examining educational needs of every student receiving services outside neighborhood school;  Administrators and parents informed of return to Home School;  Continuum of services at every school;  Programs and services determined by students;

Magnet Schools, Choice, and LRE  Interdistrict Magnets: Waverly, Webster, Fisher, Kinsella  Parent Choice  Magnet or Choice school becomes Home School;  Continuum of services within the general classroom setting;  Blind Lottery;

CMT and Access to General Education  Special Education students are considered a population subgroup for NCLB;  Subgroup must make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP);  Entire school can be considered “In need of improvement” due to lack of AYP for students receiving special education;  Increased student learning with general curriculum;

Individual Education Plans (IEPs)  IEP goals and objectives aligned with CMT strands and CAPT;  IEP defines services and needs, not location;  Working on timelines to notify all parents in early summer for programming locations for school year ;

Creating a Culture of Belonging: Basic Principles  Students belong in the least restrictive environment;  Intelligence is socialized;  Students benefit from positive role models;  Inclusion prepares students for participation in a diverse society;

Creating a Culture of Belonging: How?  Raise expectations for academic and social success;  Support students in general education by increasing supports;  Train teachers and paraprofessionals;  Share ownership for the success of all students;  Hold everyone accountable!

Creating a Culture of Belonging: Teachers will…  identify student strengths and concerns;  select accommodations and modifications;  align instruction with CMTs and CAPT standards;  implement models of instruction to accommodate all learners;

Adult Support and 1:1 Paraprofessionals  Changing roles and responsibilities of some 1:1 paraprofessionals;  Adult support offers additional assistance to small groups of students;  Reduce learned helplessness;  Reduce overreliance on paraprofessionals;  Increase skills for paraprofessionals through training;

Summary  Create a culture of belonging by ensuring all students are successful!  Provide sufficient supports in the classroom!  Be accountable for progress of our students!

Questions