ISSRC Meeting Notes
Meeting Type: Special Ed subcommittee
Date: January 9, 2015 8:00-2:30
In attendance: Amy Jernigan, Signe Pierce, Sara Edwards, Bill Mosiman, Janice Petaja, Meg
Evans, Diane Leonetti, Julie Goldsmith, Melinda Reynvaan, Tina Lemmon, Karen Connors
Agenda:
● Review Mission Statement
● Review Parent Survey
● Consultant review of K-12 SpEd; ideas, discussion and plan
● IEP/Eval online programs status and plan
● Board update for January 15; content and presenters
ISS SpEd Subcommittee Mission Statement:
Ensure a quality Special Education program that:
● accelerates academic growth
● supports individual student goals
● promotes independence and future readiness
BISD Mission Statement:
Every student should be future ready:
● prepare for college
● prepare for global workplace
● prepare for personal success
Parent Survey:
Insights:
● outcome similar for all three questions presented
● responses indicated concern that “consistency” might mean “not individualized”
● how to have successful inclusion
● better training/involvement of general ed staff
● generalize Circle of Friends connections into classrooms/across ed environment
Discussion of consistency of program versus individualization of services
● elementary school building and differences in SpEd services
● consistency in terms of curriculum and fidelity of its instruction
● consistency training, and supports
● IEP Team determines individual services, instruction must address those individual
goals
● Consistency is valuable in curriculum when staff is trained and common curriculum is
available
● Curriculum can address commonalities in students needs
●
District/Building programs are a result of grouping together students with similar needs,
ie. ASD program, EBD program
Actions/Ideas/Concerns:
● Concern/stress for teachers asked to move buildings because of program moves
● Process to maintain/store curriculum/materials for SpEd grade levels/programs (SpEd
curriculum inventory and manager)
● Two year programs at Sakai and Woodward that increase number of school/building
transitions, and make program development for 2 years only and fewer students
challenging
● Future question - Is it possible to restructure SpEd at these grades to decrease impact
on students and programming;
○ How to communicate that there might be a way to provide flexibility and support;
○ How to provide choices for parents/students (peers versus transitions)
○ Can we provide a better understanding and process for discussion of these
options
○ Flow chart or framework for consistency of process in making these
determinations
● Access to equivalent program and services across grade levels and moving up through
grade levels
● SpEd is more expensive because of configuration of schools (2 years at SAK, WMS)
● Is there trend data on special education student entry and transition points? (Bill has
been doing this for the past few years. April 15th is a good target data to take make
decisions regarding projections for the upcoming year.)
●
Are Resource Room programs consistent across four elementaries, and as we move
up/down the grade levels
○ what are the weaknesses in program consistency?
■ inconsistency of identifying the program appropriate for a student (RR,
ILC, EBD) and as they transition to Sakai - how to address the
inconsistencies and determine appropriate placement;
■ inconsistency of service minutes
■ inconsistency of pull-out versus inclusion in GenEd
■ inconsistency of level of support in-class because of greater number of
students at ordway versus number of students at BLK,WLK
●
High School programs/services (ILC, RR, etc)
Discussed current changes being planned in course offerings for next year including
Collection of Evidence, Achieve, Basic Math.
Review of PreK-12 services within the Framework of Tier System
●
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Technical innovation versus an adaptive innovation
Change Frame of Reference to Tier 3 services?
●
●
Consistency and continuity
Flexibility and differentiation
Reference point isn’t special ed, but is a Tier III system within each school as part of Tier
system. Such as:
Tier 1 - general ed
Tier 2- striving/struggling learners
Tier 3 - RR-type students and other high-needs SpEd, ELL
Tier 3 Intensive - Low incidence
What is consistent curriculum and build it all the way through…
What data do we need to collect?
Curriculum (reading, math, writing)
● What curriculum has been purchased in last two year (is it being used?)
● What old curriculum is being used?
● What is district adopted curriculum? What options are used, available?
● Tier II piece needs further definition of curriculum available
● Curriculum mapping to date is K-8
● Need to look at Social/Emotional/Behavioral curriculum across district in terms of Tiers
● What Tier III programs are currently in place at all levels, including/especially secondary
level?
● What do “best practice” blended Tiered programs look like?
● Do we need a field trip to Franklin Pierce? Issaquah?
● What are “homework assistance” options across district?
● Curriculum K-8 and HS?
Create a snap shot of programs - Curriculum Map
Objectives: The Tier III committee will identify Tier III curriculum - Math, Reading, Writing,
Soc/Emo/Beh
Action Plan:
● Collect data around Curriculum and Caseload
● Clean-up/redraft questions
● Provide to Gordy and Val data and questions for them to reformulate into an Interview
Opportunity for SpEd Teacher, Paras, ESAs
● Progress update (briefing/talking points) on ISS program review - a committee report to
each school/all staff - Monday 2/2 for Building Day
● Use School Board presentation to formulate Talking Points for all staff
● Written communication to SpEd Staff to prep for data gathering and interviews
IEP/Eval online programs status and plan
Choices: IEP Online OR Goalview
● Both interface with Skyward and State data base
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WA state 143 districts use IEP online; 17 districts use Goalview
What are fundamental differences?
Demos available from company
Training and support available
Next Steps and Calendar:
Visitations to exemplar schools - late March
Evaluation/IEP online demonstrations - next Individual Early Release day 2/23
Next ISS SpEd Subcommittee 2/6 11:30-3:30 w/Gordy and Val
and 3/12 8:00-2:30
Need to develop a common vocabulary around RTI, Tiers, etc
Need to involve paras,counselors, psychs in the RTI district training - need to check with training
Gordy and Val will lead a community/parent meeting after data gathered and further direction
formulated