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Special Education Parents Advisory Council
Date: 2020-12-08 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Location:
Address: Session:
Purpose: Business Meeting Version:
Attendees: Members - Present:
Amy Stewart (Chair for meeting)
Laura Noonan
Alyssa Scaparotti
Members - Not Present:
N/A
Others Present:
John Doherty, Superintendent of RPS
Dr. Jennifer Stys, Director of Student Services
Allison Wright, Assistant Director of Student Services
Christine Kelley, Assistant Superintendent for the RPS
Erin Gaffen, School Committee Member/SEPAC Liaison
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Laura Noonan
Topics of Discussion:
Call to Order at 7:00 PM
Welcome remarks by Amy Stewart in regards to the program descriptions on the Agenda tonight.
Dept.of Student Services update on special education program descriptions
Welcome to Vanessa Kraft,new secretary in the office of Student Services, taking over for Ann Marie Foley.
Jillian Solivan and Florrie Johnson are present to speak to entrance and exit criteria for psychological
counseling. Power point presentation on program descriptions given during this virtual meeting is to be posted
on the student services website following the SEPAC meeting, along with a flow chart for the Reading Public
Schools Special Education Programming.When creating the new descriptions,focus was made on input and
making it a team effort. Goal was two-fold: 1.to gel the program descriptions out and create the resource for
families and teams, and 2.to develop a continuum of service that makes sense. Thought process was:What is
the best way to talk about programming and supporting children and really make sure that the kids get what
they need?
Back in 2018/19 Sharon Stewart began looking at the program methodologies for each program. Format was
created and posted with a bulleted list. Mirrored the support in each program. Surveyed district staff and asked
what questions they have, and asked parents in community the same type of questions. Looked at other
communities,and asked other school community members for input. Collected all that data last year. Thought
process was:What do we need to make it the best program we can,over time?This is what was delayed by
Covid. District wants to make sure they have a renewable cycle, and then will continue those conversations
with the staff. Staff visited other school districts to see what other districts are doing-where can we improve our
program descriptions?District hopes to continue to do that once Covid restrictions are over.
Thought process-What are schedules and service delivery?Are we thinking about transition delivery?
Outreach to leaders in different programs in other communities. Asked Dr. Melissa Orkin,of Crafting Minds, to
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look at the research for the Bridge program.Thought process-Are we using the latest information with the
research and our programming?
Rebranded the programs. District does not want negative past experiences/connotations and negative
nicknames associated with the old programs to continue forward.Also, there was much confusion with so many
of the program names beginning with the letter"C". This is why the new program names. Kept"RISE"because
it is an action word and it means something, it is an acronym that stands for something. So each of the new
program names does the same.
Program names come from the philosophy of what is being taught to the kids in the program. Much simpler to
say that the amount of support vanes based on placement, but same underlying philosophies. Kids with
developmental delays need the methodology in order to be successful.
R.I.S.E.-Reading Integrated School Experience.
R.E.A.C.H.(at Killam)-Resiliency, Executive Functioning,Academics, Coping Strategies and Habits of Mind
(F/K/A Therapeutic Support Program(TSP))
S.A.I.L.-(at Wood End)(F/K/N Crossroads and Compass)Combined the two programs for a continuum of
service. Strategies to support Academics, Independence and Life skills.Could be sub-separate,could have
inclusion services. Same programming philosophy for those students.
L.E.A.D. Program(at Joshua Eaton)(FNA Bridge)-Language Executive Functioning Academics and
Determination. Teaching self-advocacy skills in order to be successful.
S.O.A.R. (At Birch Meadow)-One program, a continuum of service program. Social skills Organizational skills,
Academics and Real word organizations.
The Learning Center still has its name.
Wood End has it's own program. Birch would have its own program(Autism, communication).Joshua Eaton
would have LEAD. Each level has pull out classes and inclusion classes.
Middle school for SAIL SOAR and REACH, reach maintains its own programming all the way through.
Subseparate classes can remain linked to the program. Overlap between SAIL and SOAR.At HS level,
students that need subseparate social emotional support will remain separate. LEAD and REACH remain
separate.
Each new program description contains the following sections: Program name and what the acronym stands
for; Current locations of the Program;A summary of student needs; An overview of the program; The program's
mission;the curriculum; Special Programming in the program; Related services.
SEPAC Parent Maria Morgan asked if there was distinguishing of programs at the RISE level. Dr. Stys
indicated that the district is still having the subseparate programs, but they are not being placed into a"named
program".All the programming is not changing, they are just not delineating within each level,the placement.
This is being done so that it does not pigeon hole a child into a trajectory of where they will go after preschool.
The focus is on the continuum of service/what does each individual kid need/not focusing on which program
and why.This is being done in order to no longer have all of the labelling, and organizes it in a way that makes
it easier to talk about.
The programs are placements that we are looking to put more support.Thought process-What is instructionally
different in one program than another?As programs/research/students needs change/we will continue to look
at the practices and make updates to the program descriptions if needed. Team process overrides all of this.
We look to the IEP to guide students' needs. These programs are just road maps. Individualized for every
student Programs can move.
Entrance/Exit Criteria in terms of programming and in terms of related service providers. Because of Covid they
need more time to work with the staff for the programs, but have done a lot of work with the related service
providers. Need to continue to do more research and get more staff input so that these can be published on the
website.
Jillian Solivan(sped social worker at HS)and Florne Johnson(District psychologist)spoke at the SEPAC
meeting in regards to the entrance criteria for structured counseling on an IEP.There are 6 criteria discussed
so far. 1.Tier II intervention.2.Testing data that impacts the social emotional disturbance on school
functioning. 3.Team determines that the emotional disability cannot get through an academic week without
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support from the counselor.4. IEP goals and services are based on the disability category. 5. If the student
does not meet the criteria for counseling on grid,they would access the counselor through the gen ed standard,
or out-patient therapy. 6. Building counselors would like to be more involved in integrating the building
psychologists into the transition from RISE.
Dr. Stys stressed that these program descriptions are guidelines. Everything is really still individualized.Team
process will override all of this.
Laura Noonan asked a question in regards to the Walker Report. She indicated that it was her belief that in said
Report, it was noted that the district should update their program descriptions not only to have clear entrance
and exit criteria, but also to make it clear as to the types of instruction and/or services that would be available to
students placed in the different programs. She continued on to say that SEPAC continues to hear from parents
that believe their child should be receiving a specific type of service,but because the child has not been placed
in a particular program, the child does not have access to said service. These parents indicate a strong desire
for the district to have clear cut program criteria so that they could easily point to these program descriptions as
support for their argument that their child should be receiving said instruction/service/support. How are these
new program descriptions doing what the Walker Report thought they should be doing if they are merely a
roadmap and/or guidelines, and that services are still just individualized?Dr. Stys'response was that the
descriptions focus on'who are the students that need what'The district does not want to lose the
individualization,the underlying philosophy,the'why you are there'and the'what you are getting from it'.There
is still a team process.The goal was to make it clearer and more accessible.
Report from SEPAC readingfliteracy committee
Alyssa Scaparotti gave an update on the 11/24/20 meeting of the subcommittee. Dr. Doherty's Improvement
Plan for the next 3 years. 2020-2023 school years will improve process and have fewer ODD placements. In
FY 2021 special education reading specialist(new role). Subcommittee is hoping to make 3 presentations. 1.
How to support eady readers 2. Early warning signs 3. Older children struggling with reading. Presentations
would be from within the district. Subcommittee would like to send a survey to the community to see what
people would like to learn about.
Amy Stewart asked if the Special Education Reading Plan could be posted online. Dr. Doherty said yes,the
slides can be shared with the community.
In regards to the second to last slide from the presentation entitled"Special Education Reading Plan",
presented by John Doherty at the Reading/Literacy last subcommittee meeting about the special education
literacy coach, it states"improving reading practices in ALL special education settings"and then lists four
programs: Learning Center, Bridge Program, TSP Program and Crossroads, but leaves off Compass and
Connections—is this an indication that the district does not attempt to teach children in these two programs to
read phonetically?Or a typographical error? Answer-It was an omission. It will be for ALL students that need
support in reading.
RPS FY 2021 Budget and request for SEPAC budget liaison volunteer
SEPAC is looking for a volunteer to track the budget meetings at the school committee and report back to the
SEPAC on the special education related portions.
Timeline for budget discussion?Answer: Dr. Doherty indicated that the timeline starts in early January.Will be
communicated to the community soon. It is his belief that it will be the second week in January.
Tom Wise volunteered to be the SEPAC budget liaison.
Literacy coach would be a new position that would require funding in the budget.What can SEPAC do to
support this position?Dr. Doherty indicates that emails to the school committee would be helpful,attendance
and through the live chat would be helpful. That would be in the special education cost center.This will be in
the Superintendent's Recommended Budget.
The budget will be published. For likes and dislikes,the appropriate action would be to email the school
committee. Dr. Doherty states the budget will be sent out to the community no later than January 6'".
Public Comment
SEPAC Parent Mane Morgan indicated that the virtual chat after the last meeting was not highly attended, but
she is willing to host more of these informal network chats if there is public interest.
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Amy Stewart spoke about 11/16 Boston Globe Article written by Leo Sarkissian, of The Arc of Massachusetts,
about the impact of Covid on families and how the state budget is in need of input from families. Stewart
proposed that the article be attached to the next listserve email.
Approval of Meeting Minutes—October 27,2020
Motion by Laura Noonan to approve Minutes from the October 27,2020 business meeting. Seconded
by Amy Stewart.Approved unanimously.
Action Items
Email the SEPAC's listserve with the aforementioned Globe article and the latest approved Meeting
Minutes.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:34 PM. Amy Stewart moved to Adjourn the Meeting. Laura Noonan Seconded.
Unanimously Approved.
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