Group E: LRE in Neighborhood Schools

Participants: Chloe Eudaly, Paula Fahey, Richard Frank, Michael Kelly, Chrissa Syverson, Jen Wentzien, & Jennifer Brandse

PROBLEM STATEMENT:  Students lose access to community/neighborhood supports (after-school programs, neighborhood peers, family...) because they do not have access to their least restrictive environment in their home school.

Recommendation 1:  Inclusion Specialists to increase awareness of opportunities/identify barriers to learning

Working Well:

• In Our Control:
  • n/a
• Outside of Our Control:
  • n/a

Not Working Well or Does Not Exist:

• In Our Control:
  • Parents providing support to teachers/school
  • Learning center teachers provide support to Gen Ed teachers (not enough time)
  • Identify schools where inclusion support is working well
  • Increased communication between school and parents regarding activities and homework in Gen. Ed

• Outside of Our Control:
  • Create position of inclusion specialist (may be identified within current teams/staff); Could be “hands on” or consultation or both
  • Limit role and number of schools responsibilities so they are available more quickly
  • Create pilot program for inclusion support
  • Building accessibility
  • Socialization opportunities
  • Disability awareness training for students and staff
  • Universal design with differentiated instruction

Recommendation 2:  Expand continuum of services within school buildings so resources are available where and when needed

Working Well:

• In Our Control:
  • Great staff have made efforts to work with students beyond contract
  • Peer coaching (needs to expand)
  • Professional Development opportunities
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Effort to equalize FTE for learning Centers

Not Working Well or Does Not Exist:

• In Our Control:
  • Peer Coaching (needs to expand)
  • System for weighting students (Gen Ed/ Sp Ed)
• Outside of Our Control:
  • Dedicating appropriate space within each building for Special Needs
  • Have buildings create a list of equipment needs so each school has all of the resources needed to serve all students
  • Web-Links/Community resource guides available for parents(District wide resource)
  • Transportation Funding should be “un-siloed” to be available for program needs within community
  • Locate programs in areas where higher volume of student needs reside(ie-nursing, pioneer classrooms)
  • Programs located near Gen Ed supports within cluster/region to minimize travel time
  • Group itinerant staff across disciplines to create mobile teams to serve schools within one region/area (includes reducing case-loads)