Special Education SPOTLIGHT Issue 3
Quarter 1
Quarter 1 Update
Spotlight on Staff
Holly Feldman, DAPE Teacher
Hi! I am the DAPE (Developmental Adapted Physical Education) teacher for our district. I became a DAPE teacher because I wanted to work with children to help them see their own strengths and help them grow up to be strong and capable people in the world. I love that I have the opportunity to work with students from Pre-K all the way through high school.
I graduated from UW-Madison and then went straight to grad school at UW-La Crosse where I was a graduate assistant in the Adapted Physical Education Teaching program. After my graduate assistantship, I got my first job at Faribault High School teaching PE and DAPE. I was there for four years before teaching here in Byron. This is my 6th year here and I feel so lucky to be teaching in this district. I travel to all four of our schools during the week to provide DAPE service to students 1:1, in small groups, and I also spend time in their general PE classes to help our PE teachers and paras with modifications/adaptations. Traveling to different schools isn't always easy, but I am grateful for our teams at each building who value me and what I do for our students. I am also teaching Unified PE as an elective class at the High School. The class has been going so well and it is the most fun I've ever had teaching in my career so far!
In my free time (and when I am not coaching) I like to hang out with my friends, go fishing/hunting, and take my dogs for walks. My boyfriend Kyle and I have two French Spaniel dogs: Rafi (4 years old) and we recently added Ziggy (5 months) to our pack. They have been busy hunting grouse and pheasant. Fall is my favorite time of year because they work really hard out in the field and we all know that tired dogs are good dogs!
Unified PE
Byron High School is running its very first Unified PE class this year! Unified PE is made up of Teammates (students with disabilities / DAPE students) and Partners (general education students). All students earn an elective credit, thus putting them on equal footing. Some goals of the class: work on and learn new PE skills, gain inclusive leadership skills - “Everybody, Always Leadership”, make new friends, create pathways for inclusion, and HAVE FUN! It's been an amazing class but don't just take my word for it! Take a look at this video and see what our students have to say about it...
Announcements
Fall 2023 Literacy Intervention Launch
We're excited to introduce our new Special Education Literacy curriculum. It marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing a state-of-the-art educational experience for our special education students in Byron. This program is brought to you by Lexia, a renowned company that's also behind LETRS training, which is making waves across the nation, backed by the latest research in the science of reading.
For our elementary students, we've implemented Lexia's Core5, aptly named after the five fundamental pillars of reading: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Meanwhile, our older students in grades 6-12 are benefiting from the PowerUp program, designed to bridge achievement gaps by targeting their specific needs and propelling them beyond already mastered skills.
What makes these programs stand out is their utilization of AI technology for skill assessment. This enables precise instruction, focusing on areas where students may need improvement. Whenever students encounter challenging skills, both programs prompt our teachers to step in, providing necessary lessons to help students progress smoothly to the next unit of learning.
As we continue to work with these programs, we're gaining a deeper understanding of their potential. Stay tuned for more exciting updates throughout the year!
We Need Your Voice!
Have you ever wanted to offer input or help advocate for special education needs in our district? We have a Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) that meets virtually twice a year for one hour - once before winter break and once before the end of the school year.
Fill out this google form if you are interested in joining. We are looking for one parent participant from each of our 5 buildings to provide different perspective from across our District.
Extended School Year (ESY)
This year we will be partnering with Zumbro Education District (ZED) to provide ESY services this summer.
Extended School Year is for students who qualify for learning opportunities during the summer months. Students who attend ESY have qualified for Specialized Services and have a current IEP plan identifying needs relative to the student's disability.
The dates of ESY are June 10 - 28, 2024, Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 11:30 am.
Breaking Down an IEP
Whether you are new to the world of Special Education, or a veteran parent, the ins and outs of an IEP can be overwhelming. So let's break it down for you, one portion at a time.
Annual Meeting vs. Amendment
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) team generally consists of at least one of the student's special education teachers or providers, at least one of the student's general education teachers, a representative of the school, the student's parents, any related service providers, and the student when appropriate. These people work together as a team to create the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) plan.
Annual Meeting
The IEP team will meet once a year to review and update the IEP. Updates may include making changes to the student's service time, updating goals or adding new goals, and present levels of performance for the student.
Amendments
Sometimes an IEP needs to be changed outside of the annual review of the plan. This could be if a student has moved to a new school district. Other changes could include new accommodations or additional service time. Another example would be if a student is transitioning from elementary school to middle school, where their daily schedule changes. An IEP can be amended without convening the whole IEP team as long as all team members are aware of the changes.
No matter when an amendment occurs, the annual IEP meeting must still occur one year after the previous annual meeting.
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Fall Recap
Help Me Grow!
An early intervention for children birth to kindergarten entrance is Help Me Grow. Follow the QR code or the link below to refer a child.