SAS Student Assistance Services Pierce Early Childhood School Fall 2007

What exactly is SAS? SAS is a proactive approach to dealing with barriers to student success. Barriers can be academic, behavioral, language/articulation, emotional, social.

Structure of SAS The structure of SAS should reflect a mixture of professionals who bring varied experience to the group. Administrator, Counselor, Teacher, Nurse, Parents/Legal Guardians

Goals of SAS To look at individual students and assess how to best meet their needs. To support the teaching staff in their goals of helping each student achieve success both academically and behaviorally. To provide a systematic vehicle for school staff to refer students who are experiencing behavioral or academic difficulties

How does SAS work? Nine Steps (All nine won’t always be needed)

STEP ONE There is a student you’re concerned about. Talk to the parents about your concerns and ask them what they see at home. Begin documenting these concerns as well as any interventions you use, using the documentation form.

STEP TWO Talk to the counselor about your concerns (academic, language/articulation, behavioral, social, emotional) and share the documentation you have begun taking. Further interventions are shared at this point. (PRIM, parent pamphlets, community resources, Irving ISD sponsored classes).

STEP THREE The teacher continues to conference with the parent and share the results of interventions that have been used. The teacher shares the documentation and outcomes of parent conferences with the counselor. The teacher receives SAS forms.

STEP FOUR When documentation, readiness checklist, etc. have been provided, the SAS referral form will be given to the teacher. After receiving the completed SAS form, the counselor will set up an SAS meeting and notify the parent and teacher. Going to an SAS meeting does not indicate an automatic referral to special education.

STEP FIVE Return to SAS to discuss the effectiveness of strategies and the student’s progress. If it is decided as a committee that more intervention is needed, then a referral to special education will be made.

STEP SIX If a referral is made to special education, a referral packet will be given to the teacher with a DUE DATE (ten days from the date of the decision to refer). It is IMPERATIVE that all forms be filled out in their entirely. If it is late for any reason, you will need to write a justification for the delay, which will be placed with the referral.

STEP SEVEN The referral goes to special education and testing is scheduled.

STEP EIGHT Qualification is determined and an ARD is held. Services start if the child is eligible.

STEP NINE If the child does not qualify (DNQ) for special education and the concern still exists, then return to SAS.

Counselor’s Responsibility Review all referrals to the S.A.S. team Set up S.A.S. meeting times as needed Invite the necessary people to the meeting Moderate and conduct S.A.S. team meeting Analyze collected student data for presentation at S.A.S. meeting Keep documentation of S.A.S. team meetings current Provide referring teacher, and parent if appropriate, with a copy of S.A.S. meeting documentation

Teacher’s Responsibility Complete initial paper work related to the referral Collect work samples and behavioral data needed by the team to best determine the student’s needs Provide copies of report card, achievement data, attendance record, discipline record Complete all necessary student checklists Make an S.A.S. folder with original documents and give the folder to the counselor Inform the student of the plan Request review of students who continue to be unsuccessful

Documentation… …is very important! We must have it so we know that different interventions have been tried with the student before coming to an S.A.S. meeting. …keeps a running log of the student’s behavior or issue and shows what has/hasn’t been helpful …should include: the date, what you observe (behavior, action), intervention, how long the intervention lasted, and the result of the intervention

Example of Inadequate Documentation Chuck Didn’t listen in class today Threw his crayon across the room Doesn’t pay attention Pushed his neighbor Ran in line