1. Special Education Program Review
Lower Moreland Township School District
Work Session
May 7, 2013

2. Committee Kathleen McHugh
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

3. Sub-Committees Survey Research Site Visits Best Practices Periodicals
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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.”

7. 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.”

8. Student Surveys
Overall, 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

9. Site Visits Conducted Social Skills/Study Skills Reading Wissahickon
Lower Merion
Reading
Unionville Chadds-Ford (Chester)
Rose Tree Media (Delaware)
Hatboro-Horsham (Montgomery)
Upper Merion (Montgomery)

10. Site Visits Conducted Math Unionville Chadds-Ford (Chester)
Garnet Valley (Delaware)
Colonial (Montgomery)
Springfield (Delaware)
Hatboro-Horsham (Montgomery)
Upper Merion (Montgomery)
Spring-Ford (Montgomery)

11. 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)

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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

15. Budget Considerations – Pine Road
SRA Early Intervention for K-3 (decoding) ,093.00
Wright Group Early Reading Intervention
(Comprehension) K ,080.00
Wright Group Big Books and Little Books for classrooms ,000.00
Connecting Math Concepts K ,704.00
Shipping ,065.00
Number Worlds K ,059.00
Just Words ( 7 kits) Decoding Grades ,104.00
Fundations kits ,085.00
Total Materials $35,190.00

16. Budget Considerations – Pine Road
Technology
5 Lumens DC-211 Ladibug ($539) 2,695
16 iPad 2 ($399) 6,384
16 iPad 2 Covers ($20)
16 iPad 2 Apps ($30)
1 iPad Charging Cart ($1500) 1,500
Total Technology $11,379
Total Materials and Technology for PR $46,569

17. Budget Considerations – MA & HS
Murray Avenue
Additional Read 180 licenses ,810.00
Additional Read 180 materials ,714.00
Number Worlds 6th grade ,010.00
Holt McDougal Burger Middle School Math
Materials ,034.00
Shipping
$12,782.00
High School
AIMSWEB licenses for 111 students
Social Skills program materials
Programs include Transition to Work Inventory, Study Skills strategies, $1,081.00
follow up assessments for both
The team did recently identify a program called Life Centered Education for which we are not sure the appropriateness of its use for the whole Special Education population at the High School. We will investigate it and if it needs to be purchased we will do so using ACCESS funds.

18. Budget Considerations Summary
Pine Road = $46,569.00
Murray Avenue = $12,782.00
High School = $ 1,081.00
Total $60,432.00

19. Thank you ~Mr. Frank Giordano, Director of Special Education &
“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