EYP in Special Education; “A Free and Appropriate or Free and Perfect Education” North Reading Public Schools By Christine D’Anjou, PPS Director December 3, 2009

Problem Statement The North Reading Public Schools, with a student enrollment of 2,800, has 461 students receiving Special Education Services and 180 student’s with 504 plans. During the summer of , 149 students with disabilities (141 on IEPs and 8 on 504 plans) were recommended for extended school year programming on their IEP or 504 plan. This constitutes 30.5% of the identified students’ with IEPs and 4% of the students with 504 plans. Thirty percent is an exceptionally high number of students with IEPs to receive EYP. It is believed this is an over identification and provision of services.

Problem Summary Care: The cost of EYP has doubled in three years. Relate: The stakeholders are the administration, school staff, parents and students. Examine: What can administration do to train and support staff, provide students with school year services to reduce EYP and misuse resources. Acquire: Support of administration, data provided to staff, committee of staff to address problem as a “district problem”

Try: What was your intervention strategy? 1. Develop a committee of one per building special education staff to review the problem. 2. Collect and share data and EYP regulations and criteria. 3. Develop protocols that include building level administrators and parent. Train staff and SEPAC.

Evaluation/Results: What happened? (Show us your data.) The outcome will not be available until the spring of 2010 when the number of student’s recommended for EYP is calculated.

Extend and Renew: What will you do to keep things going? 1.Committee members were drawn from each building and will be the “go-to” person when there is a question about a student being recommended for EYP. 2. Data for subsequent summers will be collected to assess effectiveness of intervention.

Lessons Learned 1. In order to effect a district wide change, district stakeholders need to be involved in the solution.