Special Education Services

1. Special Education Services Pam Doak Senior Director

2. outcomes • Provide a brief overview of the Special Education Services 3 Year Strategic Plan and Initiatives. • Provide a historical and current information regarding Formal State Complaints filed on the behalf of students with disabilities removed due to disciplinary removals that resulted in a change of placement.

3. Strategic Plan Focus Areas • Effective Instruction • Inclusion/Continuum of Services • Professional Development • Family and Community Collaboration

4. Effective Instruction • Targets for students with disabilities will focus on increasing: • Increasing Academic Achievement • Increasing Graduation Rate • Developing a comprehensive, accessible, web-based Data Management system

5. Inclusion/Continuum of Services • Targets for students with disabilities: • The percentage of students with disabilities age 3-5 attending a regular early childhood program in the regular program will increase to 35% by June 30, 2015. • By June 30, 2015,the amount of time school age students with disabilities served in the general education setting will increase from 63.1% to 66%. • By June 30, 2015 students with disabilities at the elementary level, specifically the ID mild and HFA populations--will be provided an array of services in order to graduate from high school with a diploma and participate within the least restrictive environment.

6. Professional Development • Targets for students with disabilities: • By June 30, 2015, 90% of Stakeholders will report general satisfaction with access to Professional Development opportunities offered by Special Education Services (SES). • By June 30, 2015, SES will implement an established framework to coordinate with Academics, Human Resources and Student Support Services departments to deliver cohesive Professional Development across departments to increase the retention rate of Special Education Teacher in WCPSS to 96%. • By June 2015, 100% of SES staff will be skillful leaders who build capacity, advocate, and create support systems for delivering high quality professional development.

7. Family and Community Collaboration • Targets for students with disabilities: • By June 30, 2015, 82% of parents of students with disabilities will indicate satisfaction with parent training opportunities for their student with a disability. • By June 30, 2015, 40% of school-age parents and 62% of preschool-age parents of students with disabilities will report on the CIPP Indicator 8 parent survey that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving service and results for SWDs. • By June 30, 2015, 85% of schools will indicate they have resources available to proactively engage families through collaborative efforts in order to maximize student success.

8. Behavior Initiative • Targets for students with disabilities: • The Behavior Specialists/LRE Team will offer FBA/BIP Training exclusively to School Administrators over a three-year period. • The Behavior Specialists/LRE Team will develop a screening process to determine “at-risk” students. • The Behavior Specialists/LRE Team will develop, schedule, offer, and deliver system-wide training to WCPSS employees. • By June 30, 2012 the number of student with disabilities recommended for long-term suspension will decrease by 5%. • By June 30, 2012 the percentage of credits earned/classes passed by SWD that have been recommended for LTS will increase by 5%. • The total amount of seats available in full day alternative learning program options for students with disabilities who are recommended for long-term suspension will increase by 50% in the 2012-2013 school year (based on total amount of seats available in full day alternative learning program options in 2011-2012).

9. Behavior initiative teams • LRE • Behavioral Health • Manifestation Determination Review/Due Process • Services for Students with Disabilities Long Term Suspended

10. Bi Team - LRE • Build and support the capacity/expertise of School Administrators, Teaching Staff, Behavior Support Specialists (BST) and SED Regional teachers in the area of behavior support/consultation skills. • Collaborate with all BI Teams for development of processes, professional development and supporting schools.

11. Bi Team - LRE • Professional Development Activities for School Administrators and Teaching Staff • Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) • Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP)/Positive Behavioral Supports • Identifying and Developing Strategies for SWD At-Risk for LTS • Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) • Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) • Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI) • Professional Development Activities for Parents (Collaboration w/SES Family and Community Connections Team) • Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) • Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP)/Positive Behavioral Supports • Manifestation Determination (MDR) • Identifying and Developing Strategies for SWD At-Risk for LTS • Resources for the Parent Information Center • Community Supports to Address Behavioral Needs

12. Bi Team - LRE • Direct Consultation/Collaboration • BST Staff and Programs • Regional SED I and II Programs • Transition Counselors • General and Special Education Staff • Individual Student Needs • SWD “At-Risk” for LTS • School Administrative Staff • BST Roles and Responsibilities • LRE and Placement in Regional SED Programs • Alternative Learning Programs (i.e., Longview) • Program Development and Implementation • Data • Evaluation of Program Effectiveness

13. Bi Team – Behavioral Health • To provide a Behavioral Continuum for SWD that are at-risk of being diagnosed or are diagnosed with a mental illness. • Collaborate with all BI Teams for development of processes, professional development and supporting schools. • Identify resources for the Parent Information Center • Community Supports to Address Behavioral and/or Health Needs • Goals include: • Academic Achievement • Increase Time Engaged in Learning • Attendance • Reduction of Behavioral Issues • Increased Parent Involvement

14. Bi Team – Behavioral Health • Collaboration • WCPSS Student Support Services – Counseling and Support Services • WCPSS Intensive Intervention (IIT) • Consultation with school staff of students on IIT caseloads • Facilitate development and monitoring of goals, FBA, and BIP of students on IIT caseloads • Community Collaborative and Agencies • Wake County Human Services • WCPSS Academics

15. Bi Team – Mdr/Due Process • To increase the knowledge and capacity of school Administrators and staff and parents in the Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) process and the rights of SWD and their parents upon recommendation for long term suspension (LTS). • Collaborate with all BI Teams for development of processes, professional development and supporting schools.

16. Bi Team – MDR/Due Process • Professional Development Activities for School Administrators and Teaching Staff • Long Term Suspension Process for SWD • Pre MDR Process • MDR • Development and Implementation of a Comprehensive Data System • Professional Development Activities for Parents (Collaboration w/SES Family and Community Connections Team) • Long Term Suspension Process for SWD • Pre MDR Process • MDR

17. Bi Team – Mdr/Due Process • Collaboration • WCPSS Student Support Services – Student Due Process • WCPSS Technology Services – Data Collection, Evaluation, etc. • School Administrative and Teaching Staff –Compliance/Monitoring of BIP, IEP Goals, etc. in Relation to Students’ IEPs • Identified Middle/High Schools for SWD At-Risk for LTS • Discipline and Review Committee (DRC)

18. Bi Team – Services for SWD LTS • Continue to develop programs for students who have been long term suspended and need school-based programs for implementation of their individual IEPs and instructional services. • Establish procedures for transition to and from the programs providing services for SWD LTS. • Develop information for parents of SWD that explains the discipline policies and services for students that are long term suspended. • Establish data collection and evaluation procedures for implemented programs.

19. 2012 – 2013 Bi Team – Services for SWD LTS • Infinity Transitions @ Longview (High School) • Transitions @ River Oaks (Middle School) • Transitions @ Garner Evening Program (GEP) • Home/Hospital • SCORE and Home/Hospital

20. Infinity Transitions @ Longview (High School) • Full Day Instruction • 40 Seats (10 OCS) • 60 – 80% Direct Instruction • Highly Qualified General and Special Education Staff • Odysseyware – Supplement Direct Instruction • Program Administrator • Counseling Services • Portfolio Assessment • Data Collection/Program Evaluation

21. Transitions @ River Oaks (Middle School) • Full Day Instruction • 40 Seats • 4 Highly Qualified Teachers, 2 Teacher Assistants • Full Day Direct Instruction • On-Sight Administrator/SES Oversight • Program Components • Academic Recovery/Mastery • Social Recovery • Literacy • Parent Involvement • Portfolio Assessment • Data Collection/Program Evaluation

22. Transitions @ Garner Evening Program (GEP) • Three Hours of Direct Instruction (Monday – Thursday) • 20 Seats • Students from Garner Magnet High School, Fuquay-Varina High School, and Southeast Raleigh High School • Individualized Plans for Credit Recovery • Developing Additional Services During the Day (i.e., community) • On-Sight Administrator/SES Oversight • Development of Additional Evening Programs Throughout the District • Data Collection/Program Evaluation

23. Home/Hospital • H/H Selected Based on Individual Needs • Code of Conduct Violation • Medical Need • Expulsion • Hours/Location Based on Individual Student Needs • Services Provided By a Cadre of Trained H/H Teachers Including Both General and Special Education Services • Transportation Provided as Needed • Random Monitoring of H/H Services • Tight Process for 30 Day Reviews • Data Collection/Evaluation

24. SCORE and Home/Hospital • Selected Based on Individual Needs • Code of Conduct Violation • Expulsion • Paired with Home/Hospital (Special Education Services) • Internet Access Provided • Transportation to and from Orientation

25. Ninth Grade Initiative • Targets for students with disabilities: • The promotion rate of students with disabilities from ninth grade to tenth grade will increase by 5% by June 30, 2013. • The suspension rate of students with disabilities at ninth grade will decrease by 5% by June 30, 2013. • A comprehensive plan to improve middle school interventions and supports for students with disabilities will be developed by December 1, 2012. Each area of focus will be evaluated each semester.

26. NCDPI STATE complaints • History • December, 2008 • May, 2011 • July, 2012 • Common Theme • Whether the WCPSS developed individualized education programs (IEPs) based upon the unique needs of students with disabilities whose disciplinary removals constitute a change of placement • Whether the individual students named in the complaints and other students experiencing disciplinary removal resulting in a change of placement were denied a free appropriate public education (FAPE) due to procedural violations

27. FAPE and LRE – Disciplinary removals A child with a disability who is removed from the child’s current placement due to a disciplinary removal resulting in a change of placement: • IDEA: Continue to receive educational services (irrespective of whether the behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the child’s disability), so as to enable the child to continue to participate in the general education curriculum, although in another setting, and to progress toward meeting the goals set out in the child’s IEP • NCDPI: The traditional analysis of LRE does not apply to students removed from the general population due to violations of the student code of conduct. It is a setting that will enable the student to continue to participate in the general education curriculum, although in another setting, and to progress toward meeting the goals set our in the student’s IEP.

28. History – Corrective Actions • Provide compensatory services due to: • Denial of FAPE • Lack of implementation of services determined by IEP Teams • Development of alternative learning settings for students removed due to disciplinary actions resulting in a change of placement • Comprehensive data collection system

29. Current state complaint (July, 2012) • WCPSS and Complainants participating in mediation session(s) • Negotiations of settlement agreement • Anticipated completion – on or before October 31, 2012