Fayetteville-Manlius Special Education and Academic Intervention Programs

1. Fayetteville-Manlius Special Education and Academic Intervention Programs Report to the Board of Education May 11, 2009

2. Special Education Program • 433 school age students with disabilities • 4722 total enrollment as of December 2008 • 9.2%special education population

3. Special Education Program • 10 of the 433 students with disabilities are placed by the Committee on Special Education in educational settings outside of the district • Placements include: OCM BOCES and Judge Rotenberg Center • 99% special education population is served within the school district

4. Transfer Students/Administrative Placements • The following is a summary of the number of students with disabilities who moved into the F-M School District: • Jan. 1997 – Dec. 1997: 11 • Jan. 1998 – Dec. 1998: 24 • Jan. 1999 – Dec. 1999: 45 • Jan. 2000 – Dec. 2000: 37 • Jan. 2001 – Dec. 2001: 32 • Jan. 2002 – Dec. 2002: 39 • Jan. 2003 – Dec. 2003: 24 • Jan. 2004 – Dec. 2004: 24 • Jan. 2005 – Dec. 2005: 31 • Jan. 2006 – Dec. 2006: 27 • Jan. 2007 – Dec. 2007: 18 • Jan. 2008 – Dec. 2008: 22

5. Transfer Students/Administrative Placements • 22 students with disabilities were new entrants to F-M : • 7 students came from out-of-state • 6 students came from other school districts within Onondaga County • 9 students came from other NYS counties

6. Transfer Students/Administrative Placements • 2 student required a one-to-one teaching assistant as per existing IEP • 4 student required shared teaching assistant support as per existing IEPs

8. Response to Intervention • Definition: A problem solving approach aimed at improving pre-referral services and preventing unnecessary assignment to special education • With RTI, a low performing student is offered an intense, small group or individualized academic intervention. Progress is monitored to determine if the response to the intervention yields adequate progress

9. Response to Intervention • Essential components • Part 100 regulations • School wide universal screening • Three tiered approach of increasingly intense interventions • Continuous progress monitoring • AIMSweb Program • Data based decision making--Staff to use progress monitoring data to determine effectiveness of research-based interventions • SED mandate for RTI to be fully operational in elementary schools by 2012

10. Response to Intervention • Implemented in grades K and 1 at Fayetteville Elementary School • FE formed an RTI committee made up of 10 general education and special education staff members • Team conducted benchmark assessments • to establish local norms • to identify students who are at-risk in reading and require additional reading intervention • Initial Kindergarten data suggested that the vast majority of incoming kindergartners have age appropriate literacy skills • First grade data indicated that more explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics is necessary. From that data, the reading teachers developed a teacher guide with classroom lesson plans and reading activities for K teachers to incorporate into their daily reading instruction

11. Response to Intervention • Research based interventions: • Leveled Literacy Intervention Reading Program • Fast ForWord Program • Earobics • Fundations Reading Program • Peer tutoring • Reading Café • PALS Program

12. Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) Program • This is a small group, supplementary reading intervention for struggling readers in grades K, 1, and 2. • It is a short term, 5 day per week intensive program which incorporates: • a combination of reading, writing, phonics and word study • emphasis on comprehension strategies • attention to features of fiction and nonfiction • specific work on sounds, letters, and words • activities to expand vocabulary • opportunities to write about reading

13. Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) Program • Preliminary teacher comments and results: • Enders Rd: “I am definitely seeing progress with my students. They continue to improve in their reading levels and I have seen a big improvement in their writing.” • Mott Road: “All of my first grade students have made progress and I believe the 5 day routine is very helpful.” • Fayetteville Elem: “Two 1st grade students who were not able to read level A in Sept. have tested at level D since started the LLI program in Dec.

14. Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) Program • Fayetteville Elem. (cont’d) • Three 2nd grade students started the year at level D and two have now benchmarked at level H and one student is now at level J since beginning LLI in Dec. • Two 2nd grade students who started the year at level C are now at level H since beginning LLI in Dec.

15. Kindergarten Early Literacy Program • BLAST OFF! (Books, Letters and Sounds Together) • 11:30 am to 12:30 pm-Monday, Wednesday, Friday • 8 kindergarten students • Staffing: Reading teacher, Speech therapist, teaching assistant • Program outline: • Reading/Writing-to develop early reading and writing strategies, develop fluency and automaticity with letters and sight words • Language-to practice receptive and expressive language skills, descriptive language, social language

16. BLAST off!

17. BLAST off!

18. Kindergarten Early Literacy Program • Two of the eight students have graduated from the program in March and are functioning at grade level in reading • Kindergarten teachers report that the program has been extremely valuable and have noticed measurable improvement in the students’ skills and confidence levels

19. Integrated Co-teaching Model at Wellwood Middle School • Special education teachers co-plan and co-teach with general education ELA and Math teachers in grades 5-8 • Teaching assistant support is provided for Social studies, Science and special area classes as needed • Approximately 4-6 students with disabilities in each of the integrated co-teaching classes

20. Integrated Co-teaching Model at Wellwood Middle School • Teachers report: • In all ELA and Math integrated co-teaching classrooms (except grade 6 Math), the students have higher test scores and grades than the students in classes without the co-teaching model • All students with disabilities in these classes are receiving passing grades in the ELA and Math courses • Both of the general education and special education teachers have equal responsibility for the students and are viewed as two equal teachers….there is no distinction between teachers • This is the first year that general education students have stayed for extra help with special education teachers during activity period

21. Integrated Co-teaching Model at Wellwood Middle School • General Education teachers report that, in their opinion, all students are benefiting from this model • General Education teachers reported that the model creates a “safe and comfortable” environment for all students and they see increased class participation • All general education teachers who have been involved in the co-teaching model have asked to continue next school year

22. Ongoing Professional Development to Support Programs • Response to Intervention Staff Development Dr. Seth Aldrich, RTI consultant and AIMsWeb trainer has provided eight days of training both prior to the beginning of the pilot at Fayetteville Elem. as well as throughout this school year Enders Road and Mott Road staff met with the Fayetteville Elem. team on March 27th to discuss their implementation of RTI Enders Road and Mott Road Elem. staff will receive additional training on May 15 Psychologists will receive a minimum of two days of training on progress monitoring using the AIMsWeb Program Summer training program is being developed

23. Ongoing Professional Development to Support Programs • Kindergarten Early Literacy Program Staff Development • Speech therapists developed the program in January 2008 • Meetings were then scheduled with the reading teachers and kindergarten teachers to gain additional input • Elementary principals, kindergarten teachers, speech therapists and reading teachers met on March 25 to discuss the current program at Enders Road and to review changes to the program structure for next school year • Summer staff development will be planned for implementation at Fayetteville Elem. and Mott Road Elem. next school year

24. Ongoing Professional Development to Support Programs • Co-teaching Staff Development • OCM BOCES trained Wellwood staff on August 28th as to the various models of integrated co-teaching • Monthly meetings were held this year with the teachers to discuss the implementation of the co-teaching model and to provide ongoing problem solving • In February, teachers involved with co-teaching were given time to meet and plan program for next year • Summer staff development will be planned for teachers to co-plan

25. Interventions/Assistive Technology “For people with normal abilities, Technology makes doing things easier….For people with disabilities, Technology makes things possible.” Unknown

26. Assistive Technology • Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a student with a disability. Such term does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such a device.

27. Assistive Technology • ATs are individualized • ATs often require planning, implementation, and adjustment • ATs assist students in overcoming barriers on a student by student basis

28. Assistive Technology • Smart boards • Alpha Smart/Dana/Fusion word processors • Augmentative communication devices • Prone stander • Intellitools Classroom Suite software

29. Assistive Technology • Four staff members: Beth Filiczkowski, Tracy Simmons, Laura Thurston and Teresa Wildhack completed a year long training at the TRE Center in the Capital Region BOCES • They are now certified AT specialists and are able to conduct our own assistive technology evaluations in the district • This team developed an assistive technology policy and procedures manual for our district including new district AT referral/reporting forms • The team catalogued all assistive technology equipment and computer software programs (both low tech and high tech) • The team compiled a packet of resources entitled, “Tools for writing, reading and math” for staff

30. Assistive Technology • AT Team Recommendations • Create a district Assistive Technology team which would oversee the assistive technology needs of the district • Develop an ongoing staff development program specific to assistive technology • Their manual will be shared with staff and their recommendations will be discussed for future implementation