Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 201 North - PDF document

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 201 North Scoville Avenue  Oak Park, IL 60302-2296 TO: Board of Education Gwendolyne Walker – Qualls Ph.D. FROM: DATE: March 21, 2019 RE: Special Education Presentation BACKGROUND: This report was presented to the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. Federal legislation mandates that students with disabilities (ages 3 – 21) are provided with (FAPE) a free and appropriate public education. Oak Park and River Forest High School ensures that students with disabilities are offered a continuum of services and instructional approaches, so that an appropriate level of support can be provided to each student to meet their individual and unique learning needs. https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Special-Education-Programs.aspx Oak Park and River Forest High School Special Education Department Strategic Plan VALUES We value:  Honest Dialogue and moral action about race.  Authenticity  Ethical Behavior  Strategic Action  Accountability  Follow-through We value:  Service  Diversity  Cultural Competence  Sustainability  Education and Learning We value:  Equity  Commitment  Collaboration  Reasonable and Ethical Risk-taking TEL: (708) 383-0700 WEB: www.oprfhs.org TTY/TDD: (708) 524-5500 FAX: (708) 434-3910

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 201 North Scoville Avenue  Oak Park, IL 60302-2296 Vision The Special Education Department of Oak Park and River Forest High School endeavors to support the academic, social emotional, and transitional needs of all students while cultivating equity and excellence based teaching and learning. Mission Our goal is to educate, lead, support, and encourage all students to reach their full social and emotional potential through a rigorous academic and social emotional curriculum that prepares them for a productive future. GOALS to be accomplished by Special Education Teacher Collaborative Teams as outlined in the Special Education Audit conducted during the 2014 – 2015 school year. 1. Enhance and expand the program design and components for students with emotional/behavioral needs, ensuring that the continuum of services reflects a comprehensive, non-biased, and effective approach to meeting student needs. 2. Advance a more comprehensive transition process that includes intensified efforts in customized employment, opportunities, assessment measures of work performance, and stronger alignment and self-advocacy for students that reflects expanded efforts and evaluation of process, which promises greater success in achieving post-secondary outcomes. 3. Improvement needed in utilizing consistent data systems to develop student IEP ’s and measure student progress. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: This report is for informational purposes only. Strategic Plan: Board Goal: District Policy: Goal 1 Holistic Community Education Goal 2 Racial Equity Goal 3 Social Emotional Learning Goal 4 Transformational Teaching and Learning Goal 5 Transformational Leadership Goal 6 Facilities and Finance TEL: (708) 383-0700 WEB: www.oprfhs.org TTY/TDD: (708) 524-5500 FAX: (708) 434-3910

WELCOME OPRFHS SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Board of Education Committee of the Whole Presentaton March 12, 2019

SPECIAL EDUCATION IN REVIEW

Special Education Department VALUES Honest dialogue and moral Follow-through Education and Learning action about race Authenticity Service Equity Ethical Behavior Diversity Commitment Strategic Action Cultural Competence Collaboration Accountability Sustainability Reasonable and ethical risk-taking

Special Education Department VISION The Special Education Department of Oak Park and River Forest High School endeavors to enhance and support the academic, social, emotional, and transitional needs of all students while cultivating equitable and excellence based teaching and learning.

Special Education Department MISSION Our goal is to educate, lead, support, and encourage all students to reach their full social and emotional potential through a rigorous academic and social emotional curriculum that prepares them for a productive future.

What is SPECIAL EDUCATION ? Special Education is specialized instruction provided for children from birth to age 21 who qualify ➤ according to the laws and regulations outlined by the state and federal government. Students may qualify for special education services as an individual with special needs in one or ➤ twelve areas identified by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004). Deafness Deaf-Blindness Visually Impairment Speech-Language impairment Specific Learning Disability Multiple Disabilities Orthopedically Impairment Other Health Impaired Cognitive Disability Emotional Disturbance Autism Traumatic Brain Injury

OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS

To RECEIVE SERVICES Students with disabilities are eligible to receive specialized instruction and ➤ related services, The Individual Education Program (IEP) Team, which includes the student and parent/guardian, uses data to help determine the level and types of supports and services a student might need. The (IEP) team considers the strengths, opportunities for growth, and ➤ post-secondary goals when determining the appropriate service needs of each student. Remember that Special Education is a service not a placement. ➤

IN THE CLASSROOM we…. ➤ Provide structure/support for adolescents who have learning or emotional challenges which interfere with their academic progress. ➤ Provide support for successful integration into the general education academic environment. ➤ Focus on improving life skills and study/organizational skills. ➤ Encourage use of strengths to overcome challenges.

INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAMMING General Education with No Accommodations or Services. ➤ Academic Accommodations within the general education classroom setting. ➤ Structured assistance within the regular education classrooms through ➤ co-taught programming. Structured assistance outside the regular class through consultation services. ➤ Direct instruction in self-contained specialized course offerings. ➤ Out of District specialized course offerings. ➤ Residential Placements. ➤ A variety of options are considered as IEP teams review reasonable accommodations or modifications, and or assistive technology along the continuum of the least restrictive environment.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT at OPRFHS ➤ General Education ➤ Co-Taught Classes ➤ (1 General Education and 1 Special Education Teacher) ➤ Instructional Classes (1 Special Education Teacher) ➤ Academic Strategies Classes (1 Special Education Teacher) OPRFHS Hemingway Room

CONTINUUM OF SERVICES

LEARNING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Primarily serves students with Specific Learning Disabilities and Other ➤ Health Impairments. Classes are selected based on students’ present levels in their academics ➤ from assessment/evaluation data, teacher recommendations, and the IEP. Co-taught and Instructional classes exist across all content areas ➤ Academic Strategies classes focus on executive functioning support and ➤ career guidance. Individualized accommodations provide support to access content based ➤ on the students’ needs.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ➤ Success Through Alternative Resources (STAR) Program- This program is designed to support students that struggle with school refusal. ➤ Social Emotional Development Program (SED)- A program designed to promote social emotional functioning in the school setting. ➤ Re-inventing Students’ Education (RISE) Program- The program is designed to provide support and structure for adolescents who have social or emotional challenges, which interfere with their academic progress.

OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMMING ➤ Most restrictive placement for students on the continuum. ➤ For some students, a private day or residential school is the least restrictive environment. If the IEP team makes the determination that the student’s needs would be best met at a school outside of OPRF, an appropriate placement for the student will be found. ➤ All schools used are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. ➤ All disability categories can be served in a day school or residential school placement.

TEAM PROGRAM T ransition E ducation with A ccess to M ainstream ➤ High school aged students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a self-contained special education setting with access to the general education program based on individual student needs. ➤ TEAM students may have multiple, severe, moderate, or mild intellectual or developmental disabilities, such as Down Syndrome, Autism, and Cerebral Palsy, that require intensive academic and functional supports. ➤ TEAM classes focus on functional academics, life skills, pre-vocational skills, and daily living activities.

CITE PROGRAM C ommunity I ntegrated T ransition E ducation ● CITE is a transition program offered through the Special Education Department at Oak Park and River Forest High School. ● CITE is a Community Based Transition Option (CBTO) that provides Community Based Instruction (CBI) for special education students from age 18 to 21. ● Currently CITE is housed at the RFCC and OPRF. &