Brunswick’s Special Education Restructure: An Overview

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Jess Last Night at 11:00 p.m.

Educational Silos

Special Ed

Math

ELA

DAs

Science

Social Studies

ESOL

GT

Bridging the Gap(s)

Learning Objectives

• Understand the justification for the Restructure
• Understand the design of the Restructure’s Support System
• Understand considerations relating to the implementation of the Restructure:
• Legal mandates
• Instructional considerations
• General reminders
• Locate available resources pertaining to special education in Brunswick

Special Education Restructure: Concept

Special Education Restructure: Concept

• To advance the Department’s mission to identify the unique potentials of all learners and to diligently work to ensure all students have equal access to the educational opportunities necessary to facilitate their attainment of post-secondary education and career goals.

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• Goals:
• To promote K-12 collaboration
• To promote K-12 consistency in practices, procedures & expectations
• To promote equity for students
• To empower teachers
• To develop an ethos of shared responsibilities

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Special Education Restructure: Support System

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Support System: Classroom Level

• Assigned Special Education Teacher/Case Manager:
• Provide Specially Designed Instruction
• Provide case management services
• Complete some paperwork
• Schedule student services
• Engage in child advocacy
• Schedule and supervise Ed Techs
• Act as initial point of parental contact
• Screen referrals
• Collaborate with general educators re: programming

Support System: Building Level

• Special Education Team Leader:
• Represent special education interests on building-based leadership teams.
• Act as liaison between building administration and respective team members.
• Assist special education teachers in the handling of day to day issues:
• Support student scheduling
• Collaborate with special education administration to assign caseloads
• Oversee testing accommodations
• Screen referrals
• Screen transfer student files
• Advocate for staff and student needs

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• Building Administrators

Support System: Cohort Level

• IEP Coordinators:
• Schedule and chair IEP meetings
• Complete special education paperwork
• Monitor special education timeline compliance
• Provide coaching to special educators in the areas of paperwork
• Coordinate between building transitions
• Support caseload assignments and management

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Support System: District Level

• Assistant Director:
• Supervise and evaluate Ed Techs
• Hire Ed Techs
• Manage bus aides/special transportation
• Manage programs for out of district students
• Support and coach teachers and programs
• Other as needed
• Director:
• Support and coach teachers and programs
• Review and approve referrals
• Oversee compliance
• Hire teachers/service providers
• Evaluate teachers/service providers
• Manage budget requests
• Other as needed

Support System: Responsibility Allocations

Special Education Restructure: BJHS Support System

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Implementation of the Special Education Restructure:

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• Legal mandates
• Instructional considerations
• Reminder

Legal Mandates: IEPs

• Special educators must align their IEPs and instruction with general education content standards.
• All educators must adhere to a student’s IEP:
• Accommodations
• Disability related needs
• At least one regular education teacher must attend every IEP meeting.

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Legal Mandates: Least Restrictive Environment

• Educators are required, by law, to do everything they can to keep children in the LRE possible.
• Children must receive supports designed to maintain their presence in the regular classroom prior to removal to more restrictive environments.
• While interventions are being tried, children may continue to demonstrate challenging behaviors/academic struggles.
• Collaborate with the child’s special education teacher to ensure you understand:
• The child’s needs
• The goals of the interventions and supports

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Instructional Considerations: Targeted Pull-Out

• Targeted pull-out (special education services in the special education setting):
• Focuses on disability related needs as identified by the IEP team
• Requires collaboration between general and special educators regarding scheduling
• Increases student time in general education classroom:
• Requires differentiated activities to be created and ready for students with disabilities for their time in the regular education setting

Instructional Considerations: The Schedule

Ugh.

• Competing factors:
• Ethical obligation to facilitate students’ with disabilities participation in activities in the general education setting;
• Legal obligation to provide necessary special education and related services;
• Limited resources in terms of staff AND time.

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• We are doing the best we can and, trust us, we wish we could accommodate everyone. (We just can’t.)

Reminders...

• Remember that students with disabilities are:
• Students first
• Expect to work with students with disabilities in your classrooms, in the hallways, on field trips, in the cafeteria, in sports and clubs, etc.
• Expect to encounter non-traditional student presentations in all settings

Resources

Resources: Special Education Playbook

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j2ueebrroihvMK_peIkAJSibpi1dJ0h5w88xYd3aO0I/edit?usp=sharing

Resources: General Education Resource Page

https://sites.google.com/maine.edu/bsd-special-ed-resources/general-educator-resources_bsd

Resources: Staff

Resources: BJHS Staff

Bart Czyz

Resource

Carly Cavallari

Resource

Susie Chittum

Resource

Christine Cotto

Resource

Shelley Prophett

Life Skills

Aimee Sanfasin

SEB

Caitlin D’Amour

Social Work

Darcee Pantaz

Speech

Tracey Dearborn

OT

Katy Baughman

PT

Dr. Rebecca Gleeson

Psychologist

Holly Morgan

BCBA

Ed Techs

Questions?