WE ARE…
Unified fied Physi sical al Educa cati tion n Presen senter ters Leah Bodnarchuk • Moderate Special Education Teacher • Georgia College Alumni Autumn Chapman • Inclusion Special Education Teacher • Georgia College Alumni Graham Nash • Moderate Special Education Teacher • Mercer University Alumni Mary Frances Stewart • Assistant Principal • Wesleyan College Alumni
On January 25, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education sent a guidance letter to schools, school districts, and universities informing them of the new mandate, which noted that a " 2010 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that many students with disabilities are not afforded an equal opportunity to participate in athletics, and therefore may not have equitable access to the health and social benefits of athletic participation. " The Obama administration then stated “If school districts and universities do not provide accommodations the OCR deems sufficient, they could lose federal funding”. http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201301-504.pdf -US Department Assistant Secretary of Education
Unified ed Physica ysical l Educa cati tion on • A fully accredited high school physical education class • Staffed by both Special Education and Physical Education HQ teachers • Athletes (14-22) • Partners (9 th -12 th graders) • Adaptive • Unified • Introduction to Unified • Meets one 50 minute class period per day • Competes annually at Fall, Winter, & Summer Special Olympics state games • Recognized by high school Athletic Department as a Varsity sport
Establishing YOUR Unified Class • Administrative approval • Highly Qualified (PE & Special Ed teachers) • 9 Weeks Assessments for partners • Scheduling • Adding class to course catalog
Partner Application and Selection Process • Annual application meeting • Number of Partners/Athletes selected • Documented Behavior at School • Teacher Recommendations • Individual application essay • Participation on OTHER school teams
Adaptive Physical Education Class within school ONLY • HQ Highly motivated teachers • Administrative Approval • Class listed in school course catalog • Application meeting for partners • Application selection • Scheduling • Class Syllabus/Outline
Unified Physical Education WITH Special Olympics Affiliation • Complete all previous steps • Establish a local Special Olympics (SO) committee OR contact current local SO committee • Gain Approval from local SO committee • Certify staff as SO coaches • Set fundraising goals • Communication of State SO games calendar • Obtain parental permission for ALL athletes • Athletes complete physicals (every 3 yrs) • Unified partners complete paperwork series annually • Complete and return all SO paperwork by deadlines
Represented our state as Team Georgia Lincoln, Nebraska in July of 2010
Introduction to Unified Physical • Same application process as Adaptive/Unified • • Same HQ staff (General Ed & Special Ed) • 10 th grade students only • Adaptive & Unified students • School based team • Introduce more adaptive Special Olympic events and sport rules: • Bocce • Bad mitten • Distance Walking • Also incorporates Unified team sports events and sport rules: • Basketball • Soccer • Flag Football • Softball
So… Why start a program at your school?
Unified Class Structure • Syllabus • Daily Instruction • Athletes and Partners daily warm ups • Seasonal athletics • Leadership/Team Building • Growth (Unified/Adaptive/Pathways)
Social Benefits of the Program • Extracurricular Activities • Development of meaningful friendships • Letterman Jackets • School Climate (SACS & GAPPS) • Prom • Travel Opportunities
Important Resources Special Olympics Georgia Accreditation Information: http://www.specialolympicsga.org/becom e-an-athlete/local-coordinators/ State Games Paperwork & Deadlines: http://www.specialolympicsga.org/becom e-an-athlete/paperwork-state-games/ Protective Behaviors for Partners: http://resources.specialolympics.org/prot ective_behaviors_training.aspx Project UNIFY http://www.specialolympicsga.org/becom e-an-athlete/project-unify/ Jones County Special Olympics Contacts: www.jcspecialolympics.org JCHS Varsity Letterman- Unified Sports jcspecialolympics@gmail.com
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