Middletown Public Schools
Department of Pupil Services and Special Education
Middletown, Connecticut
August 7, 2006
Anne Louise Thompson
Department of Education-Bureau of Special Education
State of Connecticut
Box 2219
Hartford, Connecticut 06145
RE: Addendum to Focused Monitoring Report
Dear Anne Louise Thompson:
The following description incorporates the information stated in your letter dated July 12, 2006.
CREC (Capitol Regional Education Center)
The Capitol Regional Education Center (CREC) program housed at the Spencer School in
Middletown educates seven multi-disabled students (four Middletown students). This program
will move from Spencer School to Keigwin Middle School in the summer for the start of the
2006-07 school year.
Please see Appendix D- Special Education Focused Monitoring Improvement Plan for
students who attend this program. The Supervisor of Special Education & Pupil Services
is responsible for implementation and monitoring of the following:
1. Conduct an analysis of students that are grade appropriate and inappropriate at the
Keigwin School.
2. Comparative analysis of the nonacademic and extracurricular activities provided in
grades that align with the students’ ages and are not available in the current
location/program or cannot be accommodated in this location/program.
3. Description of how to assure access to these programs for students that are age
inappropriate for the setting.
CSDE will interview staff and review files throughout the 2006-2007 school year to assure
access to non-academic and extracurricular activities for students in the CREC program at
Keigwin.
Addendum Focused Monitoring Report 8.7.06
1
LRE at Keigwin & Wilson Middle Schools
Staff and administration will collaborate to increase the participation rate for students with ID in
after-school/extracurricular activities and non-academic activities available to all students who
attend public school. The building principals at Keigwin and Wilson Middle School will provide
leadership, direction and guidance to conduct the following in the beginning of the 2006-07
school year with a building team.
Goal: To assure access to grade appropriate activities for after-school/extracurricular
activities and non-academic options, which include art, music, technology education,
family consumer science, foreign language, etc. that is available to all students.
Objective 1: Increase participation rates for students with ID.
Objective 2: Provide accurate information on Individualized Educational Plans
(IEP) of student participation. This information is entered into
the state’s data management program to reflect comparative data.
The state consultants will monitor the district’s progress for participation
rate of students with ID, and other specific disabilities as compared to
students without disabilities.
Objective 3: Maintain and monitor building data on participation rates for each
after-school/extracurricular activity and non-academic activity for
students with ID and regular education students in grades 6, 7 and 8.
The building principals at Wilson Middle School & Kegiwn Middle Schools will conduct the
following activities during September 2006, and maintain comparative data for decision-making
that supports goals and objectives outlined above with all school building team members.
The following activities will be completed during the month of September 2006.
1. Develop a matrix for all after-school/extracurricular activities and non-academic
activities offered in grades 6, 7 and 8.
2. Identify the specific objective(s) of each after-school/extracurricular activity and
non-academic activity available to the general population.
3. Determine the after-school/extracurricular activity and non-academic activity
options that provide a match for the strengths and educational needs of each
identified student with ID.
4. Identify and maintain monthly statistics and length of participation in each afterschool/extracurricular activity and non-academic activity for students with:
 Intellectual Disabilities
 All other specific disabilities reported on IEP for PCI
 Identification under Section 504, and
 No disabilities (regular education students).
5. Determine appropriate accommodations/modifications necessary to facilitate
student participation in these activities.
Addendum Focused Monitoring Report 8.7.06
2
6. Using assigned building support staff for 2006-07, provide written
recommendations for schedule changes in order to facilitate and sustain successful
student participation in these activities. These recommendations will be reviewed
with central office administration before implementation to maximize support to
the building principal.
7. Monitor and compare aggregate/disaggregated data for grade level students and
for students outlined in number 4 above in Rediker, and/or EASY IEP or Excel,
etc.
Speech & Language Evaluation
Contacts have been made to hire a consultant to evaluate the speech and language services
program. Kit Talbot has been contacted and is interested in conducting this evaluation. I
suggested that I would approach Sonya Kunkel to also be a co evaluator for this evaluation
services since the focus is on LRE. I will address this on August 7th with Sonya since she will be
conducting in-service and will be working with the district on the 18-month plan for professional
development. This evaluation is due to be conducted throughout the months of October through
November 2006.
Parents
Parents will receive a letter indicating that he Focused Monitoring Report will be available on
the Middletown Special Education website for late August (site cannot be accessed till then).
The letter will also state that parents can request a hard copy from their school principal.
Building principals and staff will conduct parents in-service programs at their school during the
fall of 2006 to assist parents to effectively participate in the planning and implementation of their
child’s IEP.
District Wide Plan
The district will develop an 18-month plan to address an over-reliance on leveled general
education classes and separate special education classes. The Director and Supervisor of Pupil
Personnel & Special Education along, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction and
selected principals and staff will meet with the consultant, Sonya Kunkel, to develop an 18month plan beginning in the fall of 2006. The target date for completion is the end of December
2006.
The this plan will include the following:
1. Measurable goals, specific activities, resources, timelines, responsible person
and completion dates that incorporate critical elements of the comprehensive
description and professional development activities.
2. Identify the responsibilities of general education leadership regarding
solutions to over-reliance on leveled general education classes and separate
special education classes.
Addendum Focused Monitoring Report 8.7.06
3
3. Identify how to increase supports (training or other types of supports) to
address the needs of students with behavioral issues when being served in
general education settings.
Professional Development for IEP
Professional development for all special education and pupil personnel staff is scheduled for
August 28, 2006 and January 30, 2007. Sonya Kunkel will conduct the in-service. Ongoing
professional development scaffolded for regular/special education teachers to develop and
implement effective IEPs will be conducted over a two to three year period. The professional
development for August 2006 and January 2007 will support the development and sustainability
of exemplar IEPs from the special education and pupil personnel staff.
A. The following objectives are for the teacher in-service with particular emphasis on
developing IEPs for students with ID:
1. Goals and objectives based on regular curriculum and practical skills.
2. Identifying present levels of student performance based on curriculum standards.
3. Write measurable goals and objectives based on student needs and present levels
of performance.
4. Alignment of goals and objectives with the general education curriculum, and
the student’s chronological grade placement.
5. Identify the impact of the student’s disability on progression towards curriculum
standards.
6. Develop a knowledge base for appropriate justification of removal from regular
education classrooms using Points to Consider in Determining the Least
Restrictive Environment.
7. Daily practice of data based decision-making to determine goals and objectives in
the IEP.
8. Develop a frequent practice of formative assessment for student learning/progress
that is aligned with the district’s curriculum standards for regular education and
with the Curriculum Performance Standards for Students with Significant
Disabilities.
B. Immediately following the completion of the August 28, 2006 training and
January 30, 2007 training, the district will submit documentation of attendance
indicating that all special education and pupil services staff has participated. The
CSDE will review IEPs throughout the year to monitor appropriate completion of
IEPs based on the training provided.
Development of Social Interactions for Students
The Director of Pupil Services & Special Education will consult and plan with Sonya
Kunkel to provide the district during the fall of 2006 with other instructional activities that
address the development of social interactions such as the use of peer tutors and or reverse
mainstreamed credit courses at the high school. In the areas of extracurricular activities, the
district will also consider Circle of Friends, which has been a successful program in several
schools, Peer Buddies, Unified Supports, etc.
Addendum Focused Monitoring Report 8.7.06
4
Respectfully,
Mariann Rossi-Ondusky
Mariann Rossi-Ondusky
Director of Pupil Services & Special Education
pc: Dr. Michael Frechette, Superintendent of Schools
Dr. John Hennelly, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction & Curriculum
Barbara Senges, Assistant Superintendent of Administration
William Penders, Supervisor of Pupil Personnel & Special Education
All Building Principals
All Assistant Principals
Pamela Lavery, Department Head of Special Education, Middletown High Schools
Attachments: Appendix D: LRE Focused Monitoring Improvement Plan
Addendum Focused Monitoring Report 8.7.06
5