HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-01-18 Speical Education Parent Advisory Council Minutes OFR�AO'IY
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council: SEPAC. 2818 MAR 26 AM 11: 1(
Special Education Advisory Council .
Date: 2018-01-18 Time: 6:00
Building: RMHS Location: Superintendent's Conference
Room
Address:
Purpose: Business Meeting Session:
Attendees: Members - Present:
Sarah McLaughlin
Sarah Scaffidi
Members - Not Present:
Terri Teixeira
Others Present: .
Carolyn Wilson
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Sarah McLaughlin
Topics of Discussion:
1. Call to Order: Sarah McLaughlin.called the meeting to order at 6:01pm.
2. Public Comment: None
3. Old Business
a. Update from Director of Student Services:
■ Report cards for children with 504/IEPs-other states have implemented
both for accommodations and curriculum modifications
• Providing additional explanation helps tie together the different
sources of information parents receive via progress reports with
report cards
• Ms. Wilson commented that.this was not a primary focus for this year
and would.require significant effort-to implement including updates
to the technology that is used as well as staff training
• Ms. Wilson will look into the work stream particularly from the
technical aspect, in terms of what is feasible and provide and update
to this'group at the next meeting
■. Destruction of records- Ms. Wilson reachedout to former contractor.They
were recently purchased by the District's current IEP software company. She
is working with them to find the right person to speak with and will provide
an update at the next SEPAC.meeting
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■ Entrance and exit criteria for Special Education programs
• Ms. Wilson commented that she did not want to publish the criteria,
because would prefer that it not be public. The information is not
currently documented and there is.no intention to do so. She
expressed that she prefers these decisions are made by the teams.
• It was discussed that the Walker report references utilizing and
implementing entrance and exit criteria.
• There was discussion on creating program descriptions, including
goals,focus areas, methodology,to be utilized as guidance for teams
and families. Ms. Wilson agreed that this is something that can be
done and will work with the PLCs to create them.
b. New business:
■ FY19 budget -
• Concerns about a letter that went out to from the Middle School
Principals were discussed and the impact on Special Education
students missing electives/specials.
• Substitute.teachers for Special Education - budget line.items do not
reflect any allocation of funds for subs: Ms. Wilson commented that
this is not part of the SpEd budget, so would need to confirm,with
Gail Dowd, but it is her understanding that there is funding for subs.
• Budget reflects restructuring team chair position to a building based
model. Will utilize a model of shared leadership at the building level
will allow more responsiveness to student and family needs.
■ LLD review update was provided by Ms. Wilson
• Ms. Wilson spoke.with a consultant from Landmark who
recommended we focus on the middle school successes.The plan is
to.work with Melissa Orkin from Tufts to do a parent survey and
evaluation.
• Will review and apply learnings to elementary level. We would be
able to start some of the practices that have been successful at Parker
and apply them at Joshua Eaton this year.
• Ms. Wilson will send evaluation.proposal and parent survey to SEPAL
• It was stated that the plan proposed and being implemented by Ms.
Wilson is a departure from what was discussed and agreed upon in
previous SEPAC meetings on evaluation Bridge and Specialized
reading in the District. The new plan has been contracted and is
underway.
■ SEPAC LLD Subcommittee was dissolved until further need
• Given the above discussion and plan for moving forward without the
involvement of SEPAC, it was determined that there currently is no
need for an LLD Subcommitte.
• Sarah McLaughlin proposed dissolving the subcommitte until further
need. It was seconded by Sarah Scaffidi.
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Sarah McLaughlin moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:00pm. Sarah
Scaffidi seconded.
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