WE ARE…

On January 25, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education sent a guidance letter to schools, school districts, and universities informing them of the new mandate, which noted that a "2010 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that many students with disabilities are not afforded an equal opportunity to participate in athletics, and therefore may not have equitable access to the health and social benefits of athletic participation." The Obama administration then stated “If school districts and universities do not provide accommodations the OCR deems sufficient, they could lose federal funding”. -US Department Assistant Secretary of Education

What is UNIFIED?

Unified Physical Education A fully accredited high school physical education class Staffed by both Special Education and Physical Education HQ teachers Athletes (14-22) Partners (10 th -12 th graders) Meets one 50 minute class period per day Competes annually at Fall, Winter, & Summer Special Olympics state games Recognized by high school Athletic Department as a Varsity sport

Adaptive Physical Education Class within school ONLY HQ Highly motivated teachers Administrative Approval Class listed in school course catalog Application meeting for partners Application selection Scheduling Class Syllabus/Outline

Unified Physical Education WITH Special Olympics Affiliation Complete all previous steps Establish a local Special Olympics (SO) committee OR contact current local SO committee Gain Approval from local SO committee Certify staff as SO coaches Set fundraising goals Communication of State SO games calendar Obtain parental permission for ALL athletes Athletes complete physicals (every 3 yrs) Unified partners complete paperwork series annually Complete and return all SO paperwork by deadlines

Establishing YOUR Unified Class Administrative approval Highly Qualified (PE & Special Ed teachers) Adding class to course catalog Scheduling 9 Weeks Assessments for partners

Partner Application and Selection Process Annual application meeting Number of Partners/Athletes selected Documented Behavior at School Teacher Recommendations Individual application essay Participation on OTHER school teams

Unified Class Structure Syllabus Daily Instruction Athletes and Partners daily warm ups Seasonal athletics Leadership/Team Building Growth (Unified/Adaptive/Pathways)

Social Benefits of the Program Extracurricular Activities Development of meaningful friendships Letterman Jackets School Climate (SACS & GAPPS) Prom Job Opportunities Nebraska (Team Georgia)

Represented our state as Team Georgia Lincoln, Nebraska in July of 2010

Important Resources Special Olympics Georgia Accreditation Information: e-an-athlete/local-coordinators/ State Games Paperwork & Deadlines: e-an-athlete/paperwork-state-games/ Protective Behaviors for Partners: ective_behaviors_training.aspx Project UNIFY e-an-athlete/project-unify/ Jones County Special Olympics Contacts: JCHS Varsity Letterman- Unified Sports