SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMREVIEWLower Moreland Township School District

Work Session

May 7, 2013

Committee

Thomas Church

Jennifer Dilks

Robert Dye

Frank Giordano

Gloria Johnson

Katie Johnson

Barbara Kavanagh

Susan Kelley

Judy Lamb

Shaina McDaniels

Kathleen McHugh

Michael Mueller

Nancy Swerdlow

Sharon O’Shea

Dr. Maryjane Richmond

Maryann Romano

Peter Brigg

Sub-Committees• Survey

• Parents of Special Education Students• Special Education Teachers and Regular Education Teachers K-12• Paraprofessionals• Special Education Students (grades K-12)

• Research• Best Practices• Periodicals• Practices of other districts

• Site Visits• Virtual• Team visits to sites• Review of the programs of other districts

Parent Surveys

• 62 Responses• “My child continues to make progress in all areas each year. Her skills, communication,

reading, math, and independence have all benefitted and increased positively through the Special Education Program.”

~Pine Road Parent

• “The Special Education Program has improved my son’s skills in reading and math and has helped with his confidence”

~Murray Avenue Parent

• “My daughter received a lot of one on one help with school work and was given extended time with some testing. This really helped her get through these 4 years of High School.”

~High School Parent

Teacher Surveys• Teachers (Regular & Special Education)

• Pine Road – 21 responses• Murray Avenue – 21 responses• High School – 25 responses

Overall, teachers…

- Felt prepared to support students with IEP’s

- Understood Special Education laws and regulations

- Understood how to implement accommodations and

modifications to students with IEP’s

- Felt Co-Teaching was an effective method of

instruction

Recommendation• A few commented that teachers should have more planning time to collaborate with

colleagues.

Teacher Surveys Cont’d• Strengths of Co-Teaching

• Pine Road

“Special Education students are exposed to the high expectations of

the regular education curriculum and have good peer modeling. I

can remediate when needed and let them be independent in

areas where they are stronger.”• High School

“Co-teaching provides for student successes that would otherwise be

impossible. Students benefit from the available addition of support

and instruction.”

• Strengths of Special Education Program• Murray Avenue

“Teachers are dedicated and passionate.”

“(We are)achieving the goal of making Special Education students

independent learners.”

Paraprofessional Surveys

• 8 responses• 100% understand how to implement accommodations and

modifications for students with IEP’s• Strengths of program

• “Ensuring each student is successful. Focusing on individual needs and support.”

• “Communication between teachers and paraprofessionals”• “The student’s needs always take priority no matter what tasks

are trying to be accomplished at any given time during the day.”

Student SurveysOverall, students feel they are making progress and becoming better students.

• Pine Road (61) Murray Avenue (30) High School (51)• Things that help the students learn…

• Pine Road• Flash cards• Teachers

• Murray Avenue• Online note cards• Going to smaller classrooms to do work• Teachers and friends

• High School• Meeting teachers after school• When teachers help students one on one• Resource room• Supportive friends, teachers and counselors

Site Visits Conducted

•Social Skills/Study Skills• Wissahickon• Lower Merion

•Reading• Unionville Chadds-Ford (Chester)• Rose Tree Media (Delaware)• Hatboro-Horsham (Montgomery)• Upper Merion (Montgomery)

Site Visits Conducted

•Math• Unionville Chadds-Ford (Chester)• Garnet Valley (Delaware)• Colonial (Montgomery)• Springfield (Delaware)• Hatboro-Horsham (Montgomery)• Upper Merion (Montgomery)• Spring-Ford (Montgomery)

Recommendations • Provide Specific Standards Based IEP writing for Pine Road special education

teachers (August 2013)• MA and HS received the Standards Based IEP training in 11/12. Ongoing coaching and

training will continue with assistance from the MCIU for 13/14 school year

• Add counseling at High School from Lakeside

(Implemented September 2012; will continue through 13/14 )

• Add behavioral consultation with Quinn Developmental Services at all levels. (implemented 9/12)

• Provide IEP Plus training for all special education teachers and related service providers (scheduled for August 2013)

• Improve the efficiency of IEP Plus technology and investigate other programs

• Professional Development in the Area of Differentiated Instruction for all teachers (will be added to 13/14 Professional Development Plan)

Recommendations – Pine Road• Re-structure the provision of special education services

within Pine Road• Begin transition to a new model of how interventions are provided

in the IE block

• IE block will be reserved for Language Arts Interventions and not compete with math interventions.• Students will remain in LA in regular education for as long as appropriate for their individual needs and support will be provided in the classroom and in the IE block.

• Our neediest children will receive instruction in the special education classroom.

• Teachers and aides will work collaboratively with reading and math specialists.

• Schedule will be changed to accommodate these restructuring goals.

Recommendations – Pine Road• Re-structure the provision of special education services

within Pine Road • Math will be delivered in a Push-in Model at the end of the

period• Students who are slightly below grade level will remain in the

classroom for direct instruction and remediation will be provided in the regular education classroom or special education classroom.

• Additional adult support may be provided to supplement and differentiate instruction.

• Only the students who are significantly below grade level will be pulled into the special education classroom for direct instruction.

Recommendations – MA & HS• Murray Avenue

• Math Program• 7th and 8th grade will take pre-algebra over two years; these students will

receive Algebra I in 9th grade• Number Worlds in 6th grade EDM

• High School • Ongoing staff development on co-teaching

• Started with World Studies/American Studies, Science, English and Math co-teaching teams in April 2013 and will continue in 13/14

• Update Resource Room• 9th, 10th grade – Study Skills and academic support• 10th, 11th grade - Study Skills, remedial/academic support in areas of need• 12th grade – Transition to work/school, job interviewing, CAPS prep, academic

support• Provide staff development for the expansion of Aimsweb to the High School

Budget Considerations – Pine Road• SRA Early Intervention for K-3 (decoding) 3,093.00

• Wright Group Early Reading Intervention • (Comprehension) K-3 9,080.00

• Wright Group Big Books and Little Books for classrooms 3,000.00

• Connecting Math Concepts K-5 5,704.00• Shipping 1,065.00

• Number Worlds K-5 6,059.00

• Just Words ( 7 kits) Decoding Grades 4-5 3,104.00

• Fundations kits 4,085.00

Total Materials $35,190.00

Budget Considerations – Pine Road• Technology

• 5 Lumens DC-211 Ladibug ($539) 2,695• 16 iPad 2 ($399) 6,384• 16 iPad 2 Covers ($20) 320• 16 iPad 2 Apps ($30) 480• 1 iPad Charging Cart ($1500) 1,500

Total Technology $11,379

Total Materials and Technology for PR $46,569

Budget Considerations – MA & HS• Murray Avenue• Additional Read 180 licenses 7,810.00• Additional Read 180 materials 1,714.00• Number Worlds 6th grade 1,010.00• Holt McDougal Burger Middle School Math

• Materials 2,034.00• Shipping 214.00

$12,782.00

• High School• AIMSWEB licenses for 111 students 666.00• Social Skills program materials 415.00

• Programs include Transition to Work Inventory, Study Skills strategies, $1,081.00follow up assessments for both

Budget Considerations Summary

• Pine Road = $46,569.00• Murray Avenue = $12,782.00• High School = $ 1,081.00

Total $60,432.00

Thank you

“Special thanks to our Special Education Lead Teachers, Bob Dye, Judy Lamb, and Katie Johnson, for their leadership, to the LM Board of School Directors for their ongoing support and commitment, and to the entire committee for their time and contributions.”

~Mr. Frank Giordano, Director of Special Education &

Dr. Maryjane Richmond, Assistant Superintendent