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Programs for students with exceptional needsVCSD Strategic Plan

+What we will review tonight

Our district provides programs and services for students with exceptional needs in several categories:

1. Supports for students who may struggle in the general education program (Academic Intervention Services)

2. Programs for students who have been identified as having a learning disability or medical need (IEPs and 504 plans)

3. Programs for students who have exhibited strong performance in academic subjects (acceleration and enrichment)

+Academic Intervention Services (AIS) AIS is provided to students who are identified as needing additional

support to meet learning standards – this is a regular education service available to any student who needs it

There are multiple measures that are used to identify students for AIS, including:

1. NYS State test scores below the state designated proficiency score

2. Locally adopted assessments of student learning (teacher created and/or commercially available assessments) – there are multiple measures used including classroom assessments, portfolios of student work, benchmark assessments such as DIBELS, Fountas and Pinnell at the ES and MS, and mid term exams at the HS; standardized tests are also used in some cases

+What does AIS look like?

AIS is in addition to regular classroom instruction

In many cases, it is a separately scheduled time with the AIS teacher (reading teacher, AIS math teacher, or subject area teacher) in a smaller class setting

Students work with teachers on improving their skills and content knowledge so they can be more successful in their regular classrooms

Student progress is monitored to determine if the AIS services are helping them or need to be adjusted

Students can be recommended to discontinue AIS if their progress is good

+AIS and RtI Plans

VCSD has an AIS plan, written in 2009, which specifies the criteria and services for AIS

The district is beginning the process of revising the plan under the updated legal requirements regarding Response to Intervention (RtI)

RtI includes the kinds of services provided by AIS, and also includes requirements for universal screening and progress monitoring in the regular classroom setting

We will revise the RtI plan this school year to provide for screening and monitoring of students beginning next year as required by law

+Special Education Services

Special Education services are provided to students who have been identified as needing those services

The services to be provided to each child are specified in that child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)

There is a continuum of services provided according to each child’s individual needs

Services provided to students to meet their needs include resource and consultant teacher services, primary instruction, speech language services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.

Students with higher needs can receive instruction to meet their needs in out of district placements - BOCES or private programs

+Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS)

CDOS is a relatively new credential (available for the first time last year) that allows a student with a disability to demonstrate career readiness

We have a special education teacher who has been given the responsibility to coordinate this program for our students

Students can qualify for the CDOS credential through work based learning experiences through a BOCES Career and Technical (CTE) program or through a local school work based learning program

We are exploring offering our own work based learning program for next year for both special education and regular education students

+Number and Percentage of Our Students with IEPs

2012-3 2013-4 2014-5

Students with IEPs 161 170 173Total

Enrollment K-12 1170 1174 1168

% of students with IEPs 13.8% 14.5% 14.8%

+Students with IEPs in Out of District Placements

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Students in BOCES

Placements 14 12 12

Students in Private

Placements 1 2 2

+504 Plans

504 Plans provide accommodations to students who have a medical issue that impacts them in school

Accommodations could include extended time on tests, preferential seating, frequent bathroom breaks, etc.

Plans are reviewed each year to ensure that the plan is meeting the needs of the student

+Number and Percentage of Our Students with 504 Plans

2012-3 2013-4 2014-5

Students with 504 plans 41 46 45

Total Enrollment K-

12 1170 1174 1168

% of students with 504s 3.5% 3.9% 3.9%

+Elementary Enrichment Opportunities (Part I)

Odyssey of the Mind

Chess Club

Lego League

K-Kids 

Science Fair

Hand Chime Choir

PARP

+Elementary Enrichment Opportunities (Part II)

Drama Club

Art Club

Student Council

Chorus

Band

Go Beyonds

Intramural Sports

+Acceleration at the Middle School

Selected students are accelerated in 8th grade into high school math and/or science classes: Algebra I and/or Earth Science

There are criteria to determine which students are accelerated

In science, the factors considered are math and science course grades in 7th grade, teacher evaluation of conceptual understanding, work habits, and behavior, and student attendance and if the student is accelerated in math

In math, students begin the accelerated program in 7th grade, and the criteria are 5th grade NYS math test, grades in 6th grade math class, the math league exam, and the TOMAGS exam

+What Does Acceleration Provide for Students?

Acceleration in 8th grade provides the student the opportunity to take more advanced courses in high school

For example, an accelerated student takes

Earth Science in 8th Grade (normally taken by 9th graders)

Living Environment in 9th grade (normally taken by 10th graders)

Chemistry in 10th grade (normally taken by 11th graders)

The accelerated students have two school years to take advanced science courses such as Physics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, etc. or other elective courses

+How do HS credits in 8th grade benefit students?

Our middle school students currently earn 1 high school credit in foreign language

Some of our students earn HS credits in math and science

If more students earned more HS credits, they would have more options to take elective and advanced courses in the HS years, particularly in 11th and 12th grades

We could offer art and music classes for HS credit in MS, and we could accelerate more students in science in particular

We will review our criteria and offerings at the MS level to see if these options are viable and are of benefit to students