Special Education Handbook

Special Education Handbook

2013 - 2014

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Table of Contents BELIEFS AND VALUES OF EDUCATING STUDENTS WITH DIVERSE NEEDS ........................................................ 3 Welcoming Environment All means all which includes every child regardless of special needs. ..................................... 3 Parent/Guardian Involvement –Board Policy KB ............................................................................................................... 4 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

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Jeffco Special Education Department ................................................................................................................................. 5 Instruction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Response to Instruction (RtI) .............................................................................................................................................. 6 COMPLIANCE....................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Compliance Technicians ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Behavior .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) ....................................................................................................................... 9 Continuum of Services ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 Students with Disabilities Served ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Transition for Students Leaving or Returning from Placed out of District Facility.......................................................... 10 CAPACITY BUILDING

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Professional Learning ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 2013 - 2014 Professional Learning Dates ......................................................................................................................... 13 COMMUNICATION

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Workgroups....................................................................................................................................................................... 15 APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Common Special Education Acronyms ................................................................................................................................ 17 ADDENDUM ....................................................................................................................................................................... 19

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BELIEFS AND VALUES OF EDUCATING STUDENTS WITH DIVERSE NEEDS Educational Research and Designs (ERD) mission is to provide a quality education that prepares all students for a successful future. We are committed to providing equal educational opportunity for all students. All students can learn and have the right to learn. “All” encompasses those with diverse needs. Students with disabilities have the right and deserve the opportunity to meet the challenging expectations that have been established for their non-disabled peers. Educational opportunity begins in welcoming classrooms that embrace all students.

All students, including those with disabilities, need to be “prepared to lead independent and productive adult lives to the maximum extent possible” (20 U.S.C. 1400 (c)(5). Preparation for the transition to adulthood begins in the classroom with effective instruction that ensures all students are career and college ready.

Highly efficacious educators believe that their knowledge and skills can overcome external factors to make an important difference for students. Clearly articulated standards ground both student achievement and educator performance. Maintaining a strong academic focus with quality instruction and frequent progress monitoring will produce more successful outcomes for all students.

Our beliefs and values encompass the following: ● We believe all students, regardless of differences, belong to all of us. ● Jeffco has a legal obligation to offer a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and educate children in the Least Restrictive Environment* with effective qualified teachers. ● By providing students with effective instruction using grade level curricula and standards, they will demonstrate higher achievement. ● Jeffco is a learning organization in which all staff must grow in their capacity to support and educate students with special needs. *Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Welcoming Environment All means all which includes every child regardless of special needs.

Welcoming school environments include individuals with disabilities throughout every facet of the community.

Students are represented in the school’s mission and vision. There is a sense of shared ownership among staff members regarding every student in the community. Educators are provided opportunities to collaborate around the inclusion of ALL students. Ongoing professional development and specific training is available for meeting the needs of students who have IEPs. The type of classroom environment a teacher creates and encourages can either increase or decrease a student's ability to learn and feel comfortable as a member of the class. The classroom environment should do as much to foster cooperation and acceptance as the teaching methods that the teacher uses. The classroom environment can either improve or impede a student's ability to learn and feel safe and comfortable as a member of the class.

Classrooms that encourage emotional well-being create an atmosphere for both learning and emotional development. Educational research supports creating an atmosphere of mutual respect, where students feel relaxed in asking questions and expressing their thoughts and feelings. Some considerations for creating an atmosphere of mutual respect are classroom design, classroom procedures, and classroom strategies.

Implementing a few strategies that address these areas can help develop a strong sense of community and 3|Page 12/16/2013

encourage positive interactions and cooperative learning for students with and without disabilities. A warmclassroom environment can lead to increased academic achievement and a sense of pride and belonging in the school.

Educators need to evaluate their own teaching of steps to ensure that the students are getting the best instruction.  Encourage disability awareness and self-discovery. Help students identify their areas of strength and areas of need.  Establish a sense of belonging to the classroom and the school community as a whole.  Teach students about special education services so they may advocate for themselves. Help them understand what services are available to them based on the needs identified in their IEP.  Teach students to self-monitor their work. This allows them to see their own progress and identify areas they need to work on. This gives them ownership for making the steps necessary to meet their goals.  Prepare students for participation. Secondary (and perhaps intermediate) students need to be aware of what takes place in an IEP meeting so they have the opportunity to be an active participant.  Educate students alongside their nondisabled peers as much as possible based on the student’s IEP (inclusion model).  Model respect and inclusion of students for the school community. This includes using “people first language”, maintaining confidentiality, and facilitating opportunities for self-advocacy and choice.

Refer to Addendum 7: People First Language Written and electronic information, classroom signage, and staff and student identification should not unnecessarily label individuals as disabled or belonging to a specific center program.

Parent/Guardian Involvement –Board Policy KB The district recognizes that parents/families are their children's first and most influential teachers and that continued parental involvement in the education of children/youth contributes greatly to student achievement and a positive school environment. Engaging parents is essential to improved student achievement. The district shall foster and support active parent involvement. Parents/Guardians are partners and should contribute to the decisions that affect children and families when appropriate. Parents are valued members of their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team.

Jeffco’s Special Education Department operates by three guiding principles: 1. Increase academic achievement of students in Reading, Writing and Math 2. Build capacity to insure students’ needs are met 3. Improve effectiveness of communication

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ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CAPACITY BUILDING

COMMUNICATION

Jeffco has a legal obligation to educate children in the Least Restrictive Environment* with effective qualified teachers. By providing students with effective instruction using grade level curricula and standards they will demonstrate higher achievement.

Jeffco Special Education Department The special education department is composed of two strands: instruction and compliance. Both strands share the same outcomes: improvement of student performance, enhancement of educational success, empowerment of teacher/staff/administration, and increased support for parents. The focus is on creating welcoming schools that convey high expectations for every student. The Special Education Instructional Team and the Compliance Team have expertise in both special education instruction and legal responsibilities. Both teams believe that academic, social/emotional and behavioral instructional designs are inextricably linked. Quality IEPs are needed to address the individual needs of students in order to close achievement gaps. IDEIA legal compliance is the foundation of quality services. The instructional and compliance team share a common vision that supports collaborative work to improve outcomes for Jeffco students.

Instruction Research shows that effective teachers are the most important indicator of student success. The Instructional Team is comprised of administrators that are focused on capacity building of instructional leadership within Jeffco schools. To ensure that every student is provided the maximum opportunity for learning, this team works closely with school administrators and instructional coaches to provide the following supports: ● Collaboration ensuring classroom instruction is o researched based o data driven o differentiated to meet the needs of all students o grounded in C-CAP ● Facilitate problem solving for behavior intervention strategies ● Assure that instructional strategies are effective building-wide ● Support to assure appropriate progress monitoring, formative and summative assessment ● Partner in educator effectiveness which could include observation and evaluation ● Develop and implement district and school designed professional learning ● Forge strong partnerships with content specialists in Educational Research and Design ● Participate in data driven reviews at the school and district level ● Develop and implement research-based interventions for catch-up students ● Allocate financial and human capital resources which includes paraeducators

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Response to Instruction (RtI) Response to Instruction is a framework that promotes a well-integrated system which provides high quality, standards-based instruction and intervention that is matched to students' academic, social-emotional and behavioral needs.

Refer to Addendum 1: CDE Response to Intervention: A Practitioner’s Guide to Intervention Refer to Addendum 2: Jeffco RtI Website

The elements of RtI can be observed readily in almost any RtI implementation. Struggling learners are identified through lower performance on formal and informal screening/assessments intended to indicate atrisk-students. A student may also be identified through other means, such as teacher observation. The school provides the student with research-based interventions while the student is still in the general education environment, closely monitors progress (or response to the interventions), and adjusts the intensity based on the student’s progress. RtI is a critical component guiding the problem solving and data collection processes instrumental in identifying students who may have learning disabilities.

RtI typically has three levels of intensity: Universal Level ALL students receive research-based, high quality, general education that incorporates ongoing universal screening, progress monitoring, and prescriptive assessment to target instruction. The targeted instruction is taught, reinforced, and monitored in all settings by all adults. Discipline and other data inform the design of interventions that are preventative and proactive.

Targeted/Strategic Level Interventions are provided to students identified as at-risk of academic and/or social challenges and/or students identified as underachieving who require specific supports to make sufficient progress in general education.

Intensive Level Interventions are provided to students with intensive/chronic academic and/or behavior needs based on ongoing progress monitoring and/or diagnostic assessment.

The data gathered on the student’s response to interventions in Universal, Targeted, and Intensive tiers become part of the information for the evaluation process and is used to determine a student’s eligibility for special education and related services. The body of evidence collected in the RtI process will guide the team of educators evaluating the student.

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COMPLIANCE The Compliance Team works to safeguard the rights of all learners by implementing and monitoring IDEIA processes within Jeffco by building skills and capacity within school based teams, while emphasizing a problem-solving approach to professional practice. School teams must have systematic processes to identify student needs, develop IEPs, provide appropriate academic and social/emotional instructional supports, and monitor progress in the least restrictive environment. A gradual release model is used with the understanding that capacity building allows teams to become self-sufficient. Finally, legal costs can be considerable in terms of money spent, human capital and compromised relationships. Working collaboratively is always a better option as these more formal dispute processes diverts energy and resources away from students and the classroom.

The Compliance Team works with building level special education teams to provide the following supports: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Works with all stakeholders to build respect, trust and effective communication Available to support IEP development and IEP meetings Assists with parent/staff collaborative planning Builds reciprocal relationships and bridges gaps between parent and school perspectives Addresses procedural and practice-based challenges related to IDEIA Provides IEP team designed professional learning Supports manifestation determination reviews Consults on compliance issues when intense support is required Collaborate with schools concerning center placements and placed out of district referrals Works with school teams, parents and advocates to prevent or reduce conflict escalating to the level of a formal dispute ● Supports school staff and principals in dispute resolution, mediation, state complaints and due process

Compliance Technicians Within the Compliance strand, a team of technicians is responsible for validating and submitting data to the CDE for annual funding and compliance. They are a front line of support to the schools with in-depth knowledge of systems, data, and the associated processes. This team manages the electronic legal confidential file of all special education students in the district. They also validate and initiate all specialized transportation for Jeffco. Because they are in daily contact with staff at schools, they may be the first to identify issues. They consider themselves a safety net for our staff at schools offering well researched solutions to problems by working with several departments to be preventative and/or bring about resolution in the most expedient way possible.

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Behavior Before any student’s behavior rises to the level that it interferes with his/her ability to access reasonable benefit from the learning environment, a variety of interventions must be developed and implemented in the general education classroom supported by building level resources. The IEP team must document the need through a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and develop behavior goals and/or a behavior intervention plan that is measurable, specific and supports the student’s individual needs (see FBA and Behavior Intervention Plan section).

Behavior plans are positive plans describing how the school team will support age appropriate behavior through teaching replacement behaviors or adjusting the classroom environment. Behavior plans must describe how often the behavior happens, how long it lasts, and how intense it is. Triggers for the behavior and the purpose the behavior serves are also described. Behavior plans should not be punitive.

Examples of behavior that may get in the way of learning: ● Sensory issues ● Inappropriate social interactions and/or social skills ● Noncompliance with requests or directives (refusing to complete work, not turning in assignments, walking away, refusing to listen to the teacher, leaving classroom, etc.) ● Verbal aggression (screaming, swearing, bullying, etc.) ● Physical aggression (hitting, pushing, kicking, fighting, etc.) ● Inattentive or distractible behaviors ● Depressive or isolating behaviors (head down on desk for long periods of time, not interacting with peers, unkempt appearance, etc.) ● Changes in attendance habits ● Dangerous behaviors to self or others (running, eating non-edible materials, harming self, threats, etc.)

Understanding difficult behavior is challenging. If a student is not successful, educators have a responsibility to teach appropriate behaviors and skills, just as educators teach core curriculum. All behaviors serve a purpose; a student may avoid something, try to attain something (for example, attention) or it may be a sign of a skill deficit. Because of disabilities, some students may have a difficult time managing their environment causing inappropriate behavior issues. Challenges in the school environment may be academic work that is too hard or too easy, settings that are over-stimulating or under-stimulating, bullying, or peer pressure. Finding out what causes the behavior is key in deciding what skill instruction is needed to learn positive replacement behaviors; sometimes this requires changes to the classroom environment so the behavior is less likely to happen.

IEP Goals (All IEP goals must be aligned to Jeffco’s CCAP including EEOs and EERCs) A student who is receiving services through an IEP may have affective (behavior) goals as a part of the plan.

Baseline data and present level of performance that describes the current skills must be documented in the IEP. Whether a goal is academic or behavioral, the following lists essential components of well written goals: ● Specific ● Measureable ● Attainable ● Relevant ● Time-bound ● Monitor for progress

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Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) When behavior interventions and goals are not meeting the individual needs of the student, the IEP team must hold an IEP meeting and a FBA must be completed by the special education team, guided by the mental health providers. The FBA is an in-depth assessment that gathers data through multiple measures to include direct observations, interviews, discipline record review and any other pertinent data. Observations must be completed during various times of day and in various locations to determine the function of the behavior and patterns or common threads to the behavior. The data is written into a report that is presented to the IEP team.

From this report, a BIP is written. This plan must be individualized and specific to each student’s needs based on the body of evidence collected. Remember, a student that is identified as SIED must have a BIP as part of his/her IEP. Refer to Addendum 3: Sample Instructional Needs for Students with ADHD/ADD Refer to Addendum 4: Sample Instructional Needs for Students on the Autism Spectrum Refer to Addendum 5: Sample Instructional Needs for Students with Learning Disabilities Refer to Addendum 6: Sample Instructional Needs for Students with mental health challenges Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) In accordance with Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), Jeffco provides FAPE for all students with disabilities, including students with disabilities that have been suspended or expelled.

FAPE consists of instruction that is specifically designed to meet the unique, individual needs of a child with a disability, supported by the related services necessary for the student to receive reasonable educational benefit from instruction.

Continuum of Services The formal special education legal structures (i.e., dispute resolution, mediation and due process) have remained mostly fixed for the last two decades. The IDEIA requires states to establish procedures to ensure "that to the maximum extent appropriate" students with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled.

Specialized services for children and youth programs serving children with learning challenges as well as those requiring related service needs are available in all schools to support access to education. Public Law 94-142 in the 1970s heavily concentrated on identifying students with disabilities. The new IDEIA has shifted this paradigm which stresses meaningful educational progress for students with IEPs and has stronger focus on engaging families as our partners.

A. General Education Classes/Inclusion Collaboration/consultation/co-teaching services focus on learning specialists and general educators working together to best meet the needs of students with disabilities as well as students who may be "at risk". Each school operates Response to Instruction (RtI) teams to promote data driven instruction, to individualize learning experiences, and to effectively integrate resources which would positively impact the student’s educational program. Depending upon each student’s individual needs, this instruction could include academic support as well as assisting students in becoming independent in the process of learning through the use of instructional and behavioral strategies. Students are not removed from core instruction. A less restrictive environment must be expended before moving to a more restrictive environment.

B. Learning Specialist Support The learning specialist provides students with disabilities support that helps to increase their opportunity 9|Page 12/16/2013

C.

D.

E. F.

G.

H.

I.

to benefit from general education. This instruction focuses on targeted IEP goals and objectives.

Because students are not removed from core, unless there is a significant deficit, every effort to push-in instruction within the student’s general education classroom should be considered before using a pullout model. There may be times when a pull-out model could be the most appropriate approach; however, a purposeful plan must be devised to ensure the student does not fall further behind duringpull-out instruction. Although paraprofessionals may provide some (but not all) instruction in the general education and special education classroom, instruction is always under the direction of thespecial education teacher. It is imperative to remember that the most effective instruction is provided by highly qualified licensed teachers.

Center Program Center programs serve students whose disabilities require intensive programming. Participation in general education class activities is encouraged as appropriate. Center programs offer scaffolded instruction using a variety of instructional strategies that support core instruction or an alternative curriculum. Teachers in center programs collaborate with general education teachers around grade level content and Extended Evidence Outcomes (EEO) and/or Extended Readiness Competencies (ERC) when applicable. Center teachers also consult with general education teachers about students they share.

Sobesky and Fletcher Miller Sobesky Academy and Fletcher Miller Special School are separate facilities in Jeffco that serve students with significant disabilities as an alternative to out of district placement.

Separate School: Placed-out-of-District Private State-approved facility schools are tuition-based, located outside of the district, and designed specifically for students with disabilities.

Homebound Instruction Homebound instruction is an individualized education program provided at home to a child with a disability that prevents the child from attending a regular or special program even with the aid of special transportation.

Institutions and Hospitals While a student is hospitalized or institutionalized, there is still an expectation that a child is receiving academic instruction. Jeffco is responsible for the cost of educating a child who resides within our district boundaries during their stay.

Transition Services (14-21) Transition Services means a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that are designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate his/her movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing adult education, adult services, independent living, and/or community participation. Transition services are based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account his/her strengths, preferences, and interests. IEP teams need to consider instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives.

- Transition for Students Leaving or Returning from Placed out of District Facility A placement outside of the district should only be considered after every intervention has been exhausted, as it is the most restrictive environment for students. The Special Education Instructional Team and Compliance Team, including Directors, Assistant Directors, and Area 10 | P a g e

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Coordinators, IEP teams and parents must be involved throughout the entire process before a decision can be made.

When a decision has been made for a more restrictive environment, it is in the best interest of the student for the sending school and the out-of-district facility school to maintain ongoing communication with one another, as well as with the parent(s), regarding the educational, social, emotional, and behavioral needs and progress of the student throughout the duration of the placement in the treating agency.

Students that must transition to an out-of-district placement are faced with many challenges including, but not limited to, learning new rules and routines, meeting new teachers and peers, adjusting to different curriculum, and tolerating long distances on the bus. In addition, the change of placement is frequently a very stressful and difficult time for the family which increases a student’s anxiety and ability to make a smooth transition.

It is critical to provide information about the student’s current behaviors and successful strategies that were used as part of the transition, as well as to specify exactly what the student needs to learn in order to return to a Jeffco School. Oftentimes students and/or parents are not sure what they need to be working while in placement and are not sure if they can ever return to public school.

Transition plans must be individualized and based upon the needs and abilities of the student.

They should be developed within the context and with consideration of the student’s current situation. Focused transition planning and information-sharing help support these students to be successful in their new placement and eventually transition back to Jeffco.

The stigmatization of being a placed-out-of-district student because of behavior(s) that occurred at some point in time could be detrimental to a student’s self-esteem and their academic career. The majority of these students are at least one grade level below their peers when they are placed out of the district. Although students can and do make progress in these placements, when they return, they are often viewed through a lens from the past, and have possibly fallen even further behind academically. We know that the more removed from core curriculum and typical peers a student is, the further behind they fall.

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Students with Disabilities Served 

Preschool Age Children (ages 3-5)  School Age (ages 6-18) The following table identifies the educational disabilities defined by the Colorado Department of Education Autism Spectrum Disorders

Multiple Disabilities

Deaf Blindness

Orthopedic Impairment

Developmental Delay

Other Health Impaired

Serious Emotional Disability

Specific Learning Disabilities

Hearing Impairment

Speech or Language Impairment

Infant/Toddler with a Disability

Traumatic Brain Injury

Intellectual Disability

Visual Impairment

Support Service Providers (SSP) Related Services are school based support necessary to allow students with disabilities to benefit from special education. These educational services include: Providers

Other Services

Audiologist

Assistive Technology

Hearing Itinerant

Counseling

Occupational Therapist

Nursing

Orientation & Mobility Specialist

Parent education

Physical Therapist

Specialized Transportation

School Psychologist

Braillist

School Social Worker

Interpreters

Speech and Language Specialist

Note takers

Vision Specialist

Intensive support paraeducators Paraeducators

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ACADEMIC ACHIEVMENT

CAPACITY BUILDING

COMMUNICATION

Jeffco is a learning organization in which all staff grow in their capacity to support and educate students with special needs.

Professional Learning Educators require a broad repertoire of skills and knowledge, including a deep understanding of content and how students learn and think.

Professional Learning: ● Requires investment in the learning of educators in an inclusive environment. ● Should support the growth of the individual as well as contribute to the realization of goals and priorities of the school and the district. ● Is an ongoing process of inquiry into, and reflection upon their practice, punctuated by learning activities and programs designed to enhance their professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes. ● Provides opportunities for educators to examine and challenge their assumptions about their roles, experiment with teaching strategies, develop a deeper understanding of their subject content, the students they teach, and how their students learn. ● Recognizes educators have unique learning styles, different motivations for learning, and prior knowledge and experience that will impact the type of learning they choose to engage in. ● Ensure educators understand the relevance and the value learning goals and processes have to their classroom practice and student learning. ● Requires engagement and relevance for it to impact classrooms.

2013 - 2014 Professional Learning Dates 13-14 District Level Summer Institute 2013 for Special and General Education Teachers and Administrators

June 2013

New Staff Induction for Special Education and General Education

August 6, 2013 August 7, 2013

Sped staff Professional Learning - C-CAP, Co-teaching, Accommodations and Modifications, Writing and facilitating effective IEPs and Teaching writing in Content (SLPs)

August 14, 2013

Para Educator Training- Instructional strategies and job responsibilities (2 more days planned based on feedback: Autism, Technology, behavior support, health support) Discipline Meetings: OT/PT Providers meet minimum 3 times per. Relevant professional learning topics are selected by the advisory council Discipline Meetings: SLP Providers meet minimum 3 times per year. Relevant professional learning topics are selected by the advisory council

August 15, 2013 September 27, 2013 December 4, 2013 February 26, 2014 April 23, 2014 August 21, 2013 November 13, 2013 January 7, 2014 April 9, 2014 August 14, 2013 December 4, 2013 April 23, 2014 13 | P a g e

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Discipline Meetings: Mental Health Providers Providers meet minimum 3 times per year Aug, Nov and April Relevant professional learning topics are selected by the advisory council

Induction Special Education

Leading Student Achievement Days- Sept-Co-Teaching, Reading Strategies in the content areas for Elementary and Secondary Teachers-

Challenge/SLIC/ASD Training Literacy, ASD Verbal Behavior mapping, live VizZle-on-line assessment and instructional support and Executive functioning SIED Training for Teachers How to infuse affective instruction in content and problem solving

December 10, 2013 January 29, 2014 April 30, 2014 September 16, 2013 October 14,2013 November 11, 2013 January 13, 2014 February 10, 2014 September 17 & 19, 2013 November 12 & 14, 2013 January 21 & 23, 2014 February 18, 2014 April 15 & 17, 2014 September 26, 2013 October 2, 2013 November 11-12, 2013 Plus 2 more currently unscheduled for 2014 October 23, 2013 February 2014

2013 – 2014 School Designed School Level Professional Learning designed by individual schools and supported by compliance coordinators and instructional assistant directors and directors 2013 - 2014 IEP Team Designed School Level Professional Learning designed by individual schools and supported by compliance coordinators and instructional assistant directors and directors 2013 - 2014 Overall District Academic Professional Development (website) https://secure2.jeffco.k12.co.us/professional_development/

Staffing (insert sheet)

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ACADEMIC ACHIEVMENT

CAPACITY BUILDING

COMMUNICATION

Within Educational Research and Design there are various workgroups that focus on specific district needs.

Each of these groups is typically facilitated by an administrator and is comprised of representative stakeholders, e.g., licensed staff, building administrators, compliance team members, instructional team members, staff from other departments, etc. The purpose of these groups is to identify key issues for areas of improvement and to develop and implement an action plan to address those needs. The workgroups meet regularly throughout the year to achieve their goals. As targeted work is completed, communications are disseminated district-wide via the special ed. newsletter, the Leadership memo, and/or direct meetings with staff and administration.

Below is a list of current workgroups. The names in bold are the key contacts for each group.

Workgroups SpEd Newsletter Committee

Annie Haberkorn, Nicole Lechman-Trujillo, Sarah Cannon, Debbie Bates, Pam Yoder, Jason Barbosa & LeeAnn Cox

Speech and Language Providers Advisory Group

Hollene Davis, Kim Hernandez, Shirley Padilla, Mary Bane, Teale Darnell, Robin Brenneise, Linda Weeks, Suzie Whitson

SIED Workgroup

Pam Yoder, Jennifer Gutierrez, Hollene Davis, Rachael Friesen, Barb Blanchard

Middle School Math Initiative Workgroup

Terry Walderman, Kathy O'Sadnick

ASD/SLIC/Challenge Workgroup

Terry Walderman, Jennifer Gutierrez, Bob Barrows, O'Lynne Nation, Sarah Cannon

Co-Teaching Workgroup

Terry Walderman, Beth Low, ESL Participant TBD, GT Participant TBD, Learning Specialist Participant TBD, SLP and/or MHW Participant TBD

ELL

Jason Barbosa, Terry Walderman, Katherine Baldwin, Andrea Dillard

Significant Support Needs Workgroup

Hollene Davis, Barbara Blanchard, O’Lynne Nation, Pam Yoder, Terry Walderman, Kim Williams (SLIC teacher), Kathleen Williams (SLIC teacher), David Fennimore (School Psychologist), Eric Thompson (speech therapist)

SpEd Teacher Induction & Mentoring Workgroup

Pam Yoder, Stephanie Cavallara and all ADs

SpEd Eligibility Categories

Pam Yoder working with all Directors and ADs and Annie Haberkorn

Learning Specialist Workgroup

Debbie Bates, Jason Barbosa and Sandy Burch

Transition Workgroup LLC Program Evaluation

Jennifer Gutierrez, Jim Panzer, Terry Walderman Sandy Burch, Jason Barbosa, Jen Pennell, Kurt Freeman, Barb Blanchard, Kathy Nattress and Carly Moats 15 | P a g e

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OT/PT Advisory Group

Sandy Burch , Marty Heneghan, Terri Larkin, Alison Powell, Lorraine Snow, Heather Watt

CoALT

Stacy Strait, Will Morton, Terry Walderman, Sandy Burch and Tara Strohm

READ Act and School Readiness Implementation Team

READ Team led by Rhonda Hatch-Rivera

Leading Student Achievement Planning Group

Ellie Martinez; Sandy Burch, Blanche Kapushion, Catherine Baldwin, Matt Flores, Sue Gill

Reading Grant

Rise Meyer, Bob Barrows and. Sandy Burch

Sue Chandler, Josh Shoemaker, Amanda Karger, Jeff Pierson, Scott Allensworth, Bob Barrows, Jill Colby, Allen Skyrocketing costs of Intensive Needs Taggart, Heather Beck, Polly Ortiz-Lutz, Dawn Odean, Liz Think Tank Duncan, Lisa Bodek, Karmin Webb, Jennifer Gutierrez, Sandy Burch, Hollene Davis, Corinne Gray, Patricia Fulton Early Childhood

Hollene Davis, Marcella Hoefner, Julie Osborne, Sarah Weber, Shauna Plante, Sherri Fast, Joan Whitford

Child Find (Intake # - 303-982-7247)

Sarah Cannon, Alice Burtch, Sandra Valencia

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APPENDIX C

Common Special Education Acronyms AAC ABI ADA ADD ADHD APE ASD ASL AT AU AYP BD BEP BIP BOCES BOCS BVI CCB CDE CEC CI CIMP CLD CNS CP CSDB CSEAC

DB DD DHH DPH

A Augmentative Alternative Communication Acquired Brain Injury Americans With Disabilities Act Attention Deficit Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Adapted Physical Education Autism Spectrum Disorder American Sign Language Assistive Technology Administrative Unit Adequate Yearly Progress B Behavior Disorder Behavior Education Program Behavior Intervention Plan Board of Cooperative Educational Services Board of Cooperative Services Blind/Visually Impaired C Community Centered Board Colorado Department of Education Council for Exceptional Children Cochlear Implant Continuous Improvement and Monitoring Process Culturally and/or Linguistically Diverse Central Nervous System Cerebral Palsy Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind Colorado Special Education Advisory Committee D Deafblind or Deafblindness Developmentally Disabled Deaf/Hard of Hearing Due Process Hearing

DSM-IV DVR

ECE ECEA ECSE ED EEO EI ELL EOY ERC ERD ESL ESSU ESY FAPE FBA FERPA FHA FVA

GT HIPPA HQT ICAP ID

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV Division of Vocational Rehabilitation E Early Childhood Education Exceptional Children's Educational Act Early Childhood Special Education Emotional Disability Extended Evidence Outcomes Educational Interpreter English Language Learner End of Year Early Readiness Competencies Educational Research of Design English as a Second Language Exceptional Student Services Unit Extended School Year F Free Appropriate Public Education Functional Behavior Assessment Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Functional Hearing Assessment Functional Visual Assessment G Gifted and Talented H Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act Highly Qualified Teacher I Individual Career and Academic Plan Intellectual Disability 17 | P a g e

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IDEA IEE IEP IFSP

LD LEA LEP LRE

MD NASDSE

NCLB NPSO NSTTAC

OCR OCD ODD O&M OT Para-Educator

Para-Professional Part B Special Education Part C Special Education Early Intervention PBIS PBS

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Independent Educational Evaluation Individualized Education Program Individualized Family Service Plan JK L Learning Disabled Local Education Agency Limited English Proficient Least Restrictive Environment M Multiple Disabilities N National Association of State Directors of Special Education No Child Left Behind National Post-School Outcomes Center National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center O Office of Civil Rights Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Oppositional Defiant Disorder Orientation and Mobility Occupational Therapy P Center based paras whose job description includes toileting responsibilities Building support para School-Aged Children (Ages 3-21) Birth through 2 Years Old

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Positive Behavior Support

PC PCD PD PEAK PEP PsD PST PT RAD RtI SA SAT SI SIED SLD SLI SLIC S/P SLP SSN SWAP SWD TBI TDD ToD TP TTE TVI

VD VI VR

Perceptual-Communicative Criteria Perceptual or Communicative Disability Physical Disability Parent Education and Assistance for Kids Parents Encouraging Parents Preschool Disability Problem Solving Team Physical Therapy QR Reactive Attachment Disorder Response to Intervention S Self-Assessment Student Assistance Team Sensory Integration Significant Identifiable Emotional Disability Specific Learning Disability Speech or Language Impairment Significant Limited Intellectual Capacity Severe/Profound Speech Language Pathologist Significant Support Needs School to Work Alliance Students with Disabilities T Traumatic Brain Injury Telecommunications Device for the Deaf Teacher of the Deaf Transition Plan Temporary Teacher Eligibility Teacher of Students Who Are Visually Impaired UV Visually Disabled Visually Impaired Vocational Rehabilitation WXYZ

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ADDENDUM 1. CDE Response to Intervention: A Practitioner's Guide to Implementation 2. Jeffco RtI Website 3. Sample Instruction Needs for Students with ADHD/ADD • need strategies to maintain attention to task; inhibit impulsive responding; organize time, space, and materials; avoid rushing through work • need environmental structuring to aid weak goal-setting and flexible problem-solving • need explicit social skills instruction and multiple opportunities to practice the skill • need adult structuring to elicit ongoing, appropriate peer interactions • need frequent reinforcement for rule following • need active, hands-on learning activities with tasks structured into small, manageable units • 4. Sample Instructional Needs for Students on the autism spectrum: • need a functional communication system • need task pacing and time schedule instruction • need structure in the environment to modulate sensory arousal systems • need physical activity mixed in with other activities • need social story instruction or social scripts to understand the social world • need “time away” and access to preferred activities throughout the day • learn rules through visual prompts • copy inappropriate behavior easily and need good models 5.

Sample Instructional Needs for Students with Learning Disabilities: • need self-advocacy training • need frequent reinforcement for real accomplishments • need extensive curriculum accommodations to facilitate success • need mentoring by other students, “circle of friends” to prevent social isolation • need instruction on what is not impeding school success

6. Sample Instructional Needs for Students with Mental Health Challenges • need gradual exposure to stressful activities • need instruction on ways to self-calm • need frequent check-ins to avoid giving up easily and to anticipate success 7.

People First Language: People with disabilities are – first and foremost – people who have individual abilities, interests and needs. They are moms, dads, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, friends, neighbors, coworkers, students and teachers. About 54 million Americans -- one out of every five individuals -- have a disability. Their contributions enrich our communities and society as they live, work and share their lives.

People with disabilities constitute our nation’s largest minority group, which is simultaneously the most inclusive and the most diverse. Everyone is represented: of all genders, all ages, all religions, all socioeconomic levels and all ethnic backgrounds. The disability community is the only minority group that anyone can join at any time.

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The language a society uses to refer to persons with disabilities shapes its beliefs and ideas about them. Words are powerful; Old, inaccurate, and inappropriate descriptors perpetuate negative stereotypes and attitudinal barriers. When we describe people by their labels of medical diagnoses, we devalue and disrespect them as individuals. In contrast, using thoughtful terminology can foster positive attitudes about persons with disabilities. One of the major improvements in communicating with and about people with disabilities is "People-First Language.” People-First Language emphasizes the person, not the disability. By placing the person first, the disability is no longer the primary, defining characteristic of an individual, but one of several aspects of the whole person. People-First Language is an objective way of acknowledging, communicating, and reporting on disabilities. It eliminates generalizations and stereotypes, by focusing on the person rather than the disability.

Disability is not the “problem.” For example, a person who wears glasses doesn’t say, “I have a problem seeing,” they say, “I wear/need glasses.” Similarly, a person who uses a wheelchair doesn’t say, “I have a problem walking,” they say, “I use/need a wheelchair.”

Our words and the meanings we attach to them create attitudes, drive social policies and laws, influence our feelings and decisions, and affect people’s daily lives and more. How we use them makes a difference. People First Language puts the person before the disability, and describes what a person has, not who a person is. Using a diagnosis as a defining characteristic reflects prejudice, and also robs the person of the opportunity to define himself/herself. (The ARC)

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