Student Support Services Overview

The mission of the South Burlington School District, a community committed to excellence in education, is to ensure that each student possesses the knowledge, skills, and character to create a successful and responsible life. We will do this by building safe, caring, and challenging learning environments, fostering family and community partnerships, utilizing global resources, and inspiring life-long learning.

Educational Support System in Each School  Educational Support Team  Literacy Coaches  Math Coaches  Instructional Assistants  Special Educators  School Based Clinicians  Guidance Counselors

Work in a Unified System  Professional Learning Groups  Data Teams  Formative Assessment  Vermont Alternate Assessments  Response to Intervention (RtI)  Differentiated Instruction  Team Teaching  Collaboration Skills  Cultural Competence

Regulations support and enforce the system  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  Section 504 (Accommodation)  Act 117 (ESS)

Act 117  Vermont Act to strengthen capacity of state’s educational system to meet needs of all students  Each school (district) must maintain an Educational Support System (ESS) to provide additional assistance for those students who need it to succeed within the regular classroom environment  ESS must include an Educational Support Team (EST) which identifies, monitors, and provides a range of supports and remedial services including instructional and behavioral interventions and accommodations

SECTION 504 (of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973)  Civil Rights law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability  Designed to provide access to education; removal of the barriers which prevent access  Offers protection to any person who has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; i.e. learning, speaking, walking, working, seeing, hearing, breathing, performing manual tasks  Provides accommodations to the educational curriculum; are listed in a 504 Plan

IDEA  Provides federal aid to states to ensure provision of free appropriate education (FAPE) to children who are determined to be eligible for special education in one or more of the specific categories of disability  Special Education means specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of the child— which cannot be provided within through the school’s standard instructional conditions or in Vermont, through the educational support system.

Classroom Teacher’s Role in Special Education Evaluations

What do I do if I have a student continuing to struggle after I’ve emptied my bag of tricks?  Document what you have tried  Gather your assessment data  Make a referral to the EST  Develop a Support Plan and implement  Gather more assessment data  If not successful, redo the Plan and this may include a referral for a Special Education Evaluation  If successful continue plan or fade.

What do I do if a parent requests a Special Education Evaluation?  Make a contact with your special educator with the concerns  Discuss concerns with parent, collect any assessment data they may have and proceed with an EST plan  Involve parents in the process

What is my role in the Special Education Evaluation process?  Provide two different pieces of data that show the student is performing in the lowest 15% of the class, below the 15%ile or 1 standard deviation below the mean in one or more of the basic skill areas.  Participate on Evaluation and Planning Team presenting your data and help to determine eligibility

5 Questions Every Teacher Must Ask 1.Which students in my class have an IEP or 504 plan? 2.Have I personally reviewed each plan? 3.Do I remember what the documents say? 4.Am I making a “good faith effort” to implement? 5.Do I have prove of implementation?

If you answered “No” or “I don’t know” to even one of the questions, you are at risk of being out of compliance with the Federal Law.

Unified System Classroom teachers and support services working together to… ….ensure that each student possesses the knowledge, skills, and character to create a successful and responsible life.