Special Services Update
11/14/14
Mission Statement, continued
I mentioned that I use two, the one I shared last week, and this one, which clearly sets the goals of special education. Again, this is taken directly from IDEA. "The purpose of this chapter is to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living."
What I take from this is the emphasis on "unique needs" as well as the ultimate goal for all students: preparation for adult life in the arenas of education, employment, and independent living. Note that this is the same goal for all students, with or without disabilities. As special education gets pulled in many directions by various educational initiatives, it is important that we keep the purpose of IDEA in mind.
Elementary News
This week I visited Holliman and Sherman, and spent a little time at Scott. Thank you all for opening your doors and spending some time with me. A few special educators have requested the re-instatement of monthly special education meetings. Thoughts?
Additionally, I know there are still many questions surrounding PARCC . I will be attending RIDE training on PARCC on Monday, and working with Laurel, Chris, and Larry to gather all the information that we have next week, so we can share it all with you and give you clear and consistent information. My plan is to include this information in the newsletter next week, along with sharing it directly with you in the schools.
Upcoming events: Drum Rock will be launching a play group for students who are not currently enrolled in pre K in order to provide them with exposure to preschool. This will start on December 3. Congratulations to Dr. Hammond and her staff for putting this together.
Secondary News
A few special educators have requested the re-instatement of monthly special education meetings. Thoughts?
I know there are still many questions surrounding PARCC. I will be attending RIDE training on PARCC on Monday, and working with Laurel, Chris, and Larry to gather all the information that we have next week, so we can share it all with you and give you clear and consistent information. My plan is to include this information in the newsletter next week, along with sharing it directly with you in the schools.
Upcoming events: There will be a student and family Transition Information Night at Vets on 12/2/14 from 6:30-8:00. Thank you to the staff who have arranged this.
Health and Wellness News
Another good source of information I wanted to share with you is the Rhode Island Technical Assistance Project (RITAP) website. There is a page specific to social and emotional learning, which you can find at http://www.ritap.org/iep/social-and-emotional-learning.
This site has sample IEP goals, which are very helpful as a framework for social and emotional goals.