1. Special Education Program Implementation Update
Susan B. Mitchell
Director of Special Education
February 10, 2009

2. Purpose of Presentation
Provide an update on Special Education programs and services
Review Special Education costs
Provide an update on recommendations from Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team report completed in August 2006
Program Recommendations for school year

3. Special Education History
Prior to 1975 (Special Education not required)
100,000+ students out of school
Federal Law created due to several lawsuits
Public Law P.L (1975)
Free and Appropriate Public Education
Child Find Provision
Reauthorization Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) 1997
Individually designed services
Participate and make progress in General Education
Accountability
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (known as IDEA 2004)
Focus on Accountability
Focus on Improving educational results and functional outcomes
Emphasis on reading, math and science with heightened responsibilities for general and special education collaboration
Scientifically researched strategies and Response to Intervention (RtI)

4. Numbers/Percentages Served
California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS)
(K-22)
K-22
Pupil
Count
0-22
Total Pupil
Special Education
% K-22
Alameda
10,260
936
1,089
9.12%
10,315
1,000
1,134
9.69%
10,183
1,017
1,151
9.99%

5. High Cost Disabilities, 3-22
Emotional disturbance (ED)
% of
Pupil
Count
Autism
% of Pupil count
Low Incidence
% of Pupil Count
Alameda 45
4.13% 86
7.60% 28
2.57% 68
6.00% 94
8.29% 56
4.94% 70
6.08%
106
9.21% 54
4.69%

6. What are the costs? (07-08)
Total Special Education Revenue: $8,132,263
Base Revenue: $1,861,510
Total Revenue: $9,993,773
Expenditures ($15,449,224)
General Fund Contribution $5,455,451
General Fund % of
Expenditures % (of $15,449,224)

7. 08-09 Anticipated General Fund Contribution Increase
Why?
Lack of available personnel
Contracted Speech Therapists
Contracted Behavioral Support Services
New teachers requiring on-going support
Increased complexity of student needs
Autism and Emotional Disturbance
Increase in paraprofessional support
Increase in cost for transportation services

8. Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) Report
Team visited and interviewed District in April 2006
Report completed in August 2006
121 recommendations
Program Efficiency and Delivery
Staffing
Non-Public Schools / Non-Public Agency Costs
Transportation
Legal
Accounting Processes
Special Education Local Plan Agency Reorganization

9. Progress to Date:
Areas
Yes No
In Progress
Items
Program Efficiency & Delivery 26 8 10 44
Staffing 12 3 18
Non-Public Schools/
Non-Public Agencies 20 6 11 37
Transportation 5 2 9
Legal 1
Accounting Processes
Reorganization
Total 74 27
121

10. Program Efficiency & Delivery
Progress to Date:
Continuum of Special Education Programs
Resource Specialist Programs & Related Services
Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe Special Day Classes
Counseling Enriched Classes (CEC) (3rd-12th grades)
Continuum of Autism Programs
Inclusion (K-12)
BRIDGE Program (K-8)
Elementary Autism Supported Inclusion (EASI)
Intensive Special Day Class (Preschool-8th grade)

11. Program Efficiency & Delivery
Progress to Date:
One-to-One Instructional Assistance
Specialized Health Care
Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) Billing

12. Program & Efficiency Next Steps: 2009-2010 2009-2010 to 2010-2011
Build the infrastructure of existing programs to
Expansion of existing programs
Counseling Enriched Classes
Intensive needs autism high school class to
Develop new district programs
Center-Based early intervention program
Expansion of services for year olds

13. Staffing Progress to Date:
August 2008-New Lead Speech/Language Therapist job position
September 2008:
4 - District Speech Therapists
8 - Non-Public Agency Speech Therapists
January 2009
4 - Additional District Speech Therapists, replacing Non-Public Agency staff

14. Staffing Progress to Date: New Special Education Teachers
Require mentoring, training and staff development
Behavior Specialist
Job posted and in process of interviewing
School Psychologists
High workload to meet assessment, behavioral and counseling demands
Occupational Therapists
Two District Occupational Therapists
Additional positions provided by Non-Public Agency
Special Education Nurse
Provided by Non-Public Agency

15. Staffing Next Steps: Recruit and Hire:
District Speech Therapists
Highly Qualified Special Education Teachers
Additional School Psychologist
Additional Occupational Therapist
District Special Education Nurse
Continue to provide mentoring, training and staff development

16. Non-Public Schools & Non-Public Agencies
Costs
Non-Public Schools- $1,436,900
Projected increase- $150,000
Non-Public Agencies - $840,800
Projected increase- $285,000

17. Non-Public Schools Progress to Date: Next Steps: School Year
Slight decline in number of students but cost per student has increased
Next Steps:
Review all placements to determine which students are ready to return to district programs
School Year
# of Students 42 40

18. High Cost Non-Public Agency Services
Progress to Date:
High Costs continue for the following Non-Public Agency Services:
Behavioral Support Services
Provide training to staff
Provide behavioral support to classes
Develop functional analysis assessments
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
Occupational Therapy Services

19. Non-Public School and Non-Public Agency Costs
Next Steps:
Continuum of District Special Education Programs to reduce number of students placed in Non-Public Schools:
Autism
Emotional Disturbance
Moderate/Severe Disabilities
District Special Education positions to reduce dependency on Non-Public Agencies:
Hire behavior specialist
Additional psychologist
Additional occupational therapist
Special Education Nurse

20. Transportation Next Steps: Progress to Date:
New transportation company
Cost- $1.4M
Next Steps:
Reduce costs
Consolidate routes
Explore options

21. AUSD Special Education
Provide students Free and Appropriate Public Education in the Least Restrictive Environment
Compliance
Highly Qualified Staff
Partnership with General Education
Partnership with Parents
Fiscal Responsibility

22. Summary How do we build the infrastructure of existing programs?
Hire District staff to reduce dependency on Non-Public Agencies
Speech Therapists
Behavior Specialist
Additional Psychologist
Additional Occupational Therapist
Half-time District Special Education Nurse
Cost Neutral because District is currently paying Non-Public Agencies for these services that support our existing programs.

23. Questions?