At a workshop held at the beginning of June, the School District 166 (ISD 166) school board took a comprehensive look at its special education programming and ultimately agreed that more needed to be done to screen children at an earlier age.
Superintendent Beth Schwarz scheduled the special work session on June 1, 2015 to answer questions asked by school board members in regular meetings about what appears to be an increase in special education needs. Schwarz explained that there are two types of special education. Some special education continues throughout school, for example for children with cerebral palsy or significant dyslexia.
However, Schwarz said services such as speech or occupational therapy are frequently needed less as a child gets older.
Schwarz said she took the board’s questions to Dr. Reggie Engebritson, director of the Northland Special Education Cooperative, which provides some of the school’s special education services. Schwarz said out of nine school districts in the cooperative of similar size, ISD 166 has significantly fewer children receiving early childhood special education. She said she was very concerned that other school districts are identifying 25 – 30 children who need services while ISD 166 is only identifying five.
Her greatest concern, said Schwarz, is that students are not being identified early enough, noting that if a child does not receive the early childhood special education he or she needs, they need services longer and the level of services is greater.
Special Education Teacher Melissa Oberg agreed. “Yes… It’s very hard to get them caught up when they are lagging,” she said.
Oberg said she felt it was a duty of special education teachers to serve children with special needs wherever they are in the county, whether homeschooled or at other schools. She also expressed concern that few referrals are coming to the school district for early childhood special education.
She said there seems to be a hesitation in the community to make referrals to special ed. She said, “It seems like special education is a scary thing for some parents—and physicians— and social workers… We need to do a better job.”
Schwarz agreed. She said ISD 166 is responsible for early childhood education for every child in Cook County as the “resident district.”
Board Chair Jeanne Anderson asked, “When you say it is our responsibility, where does our responsibility lie? Is it financial or…?”
Superintendent Schwarz said ISD 166 is responsible for the financial aspect of special education at all of the schools within its district boundaries as the resident district.
She said 68 percent of the cost of special education is “attached” to that student, so ISD 166 receives funding for that student’s services wherever the student receives special education services. However, the remaining 32 percent of special education expenses falls back on ISD 166.
Schwarz said as the resident district, ISD 166 sees fiscal ramifications from special education. However, she said providing special education benefits the school district and the community overall.
Board Member Deb White asked, “So we just trust that services are being adequately provided by the other schools?”
Schwarz said no, when a child has been identified as needing special education, a meeting is called to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Taking part in the IEP process is a representative of School District 166, of the school (i.e., Great Expectations School, Oshki Ogimaag or Birch Grove), and parents.
Schwarz said for example, there is frequently discussion over whether a child needs to have a 1-on-1 paraprofessional. If yes, the need has to be identified as “very great.” She said in most instances a school district has one paraprofessional who can work with three special education students. When a student needs 1-on-1 attention, Schwarz aid, “That’s a costly endeavor.”
“But if that is what kids need to reach their full potential, that is what they should receive. Parents— or kids—should not feel guilty or shamed when they require special education services that they need and are entitled to by law,” added Schwarz.
Chair Anderson asked how the school’s education cooperative is involved in this process. Schwarz said she has had numerous discussions with community educators after a visit from Dr. Phyllis Henderson, the director of the federal Headstart program.
Following those discussions, Schwarz said ISD 166 is working with Rachel Lichty, the Early Childhood Family Education Coordinator and retired ECFE specialist Sandra Taenzer to develop a program to provide free screening, including sessions with parents to hopefully relieve some of the anxiety surrounding special education. Schwarz said the school district would be using an “ages and stages” program.
“If, after screening there are kids we feel need further evaluation we would bring someone up from the education cooperative to complete evaluations,” said Schwarz.
“It begs the question,” said White, “Why have we not been screening?”
The board discussed the school district’s relationship with other schools, with parents and with the local clinic and ways to help the community better understand the need for early childhood screening. Schwarz said Sawtooth Elementary School Principal Gwen Carman recently met with doctors at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic to discuss the referral process.
“We’ve identified a significant problem,” said Schwarz. “We need to be positive about moving ahead with these ideas. We need to move forward to get these little ones not only the help they need, but by law are legally required to receive. ”
White said the school needs to do a better job of educating the public about the benefits of early childhood special education. “People don’t know—and they don’t know what they don’t know.”
Special Education Teacher Oberg noted that the special education process can be intense. She said there are checks and balances, because special education is a “last resort” that is reserved for kids who “really, really need it.”
Schwarz agreed, reiterating the importance of early childhood special education. She pointed out that Special Ed teachers Oberg and Louise Abelon serve students in 6-10th and 6-12th grades. She said there is a huge difference between early childhood special education and the work they are doing.
Schwarz said if special education needs are not identified early, the gaps are much higher. As an example she said if impulse control goes unchecked through elementary school, a student in sixth grade or above becomes disruptive in class. “That can be short-circuited if we get those services,” she said.
Schwarz said ideally special education eventually allows a child to exit out of special education entirely. Special Education Teachers Oberg and Abelon agreed. Abelon said, “Yes, the goal is to not keep kids in special education forever. I want to work myself out of a job.”
However, the school is not at that point, said Schwarz. In fact, she said because of the increased need for secondary special education, she was requesting that the school board authorize an increase in the school district’s special education staff in the high school from four to five for the next year.
Schwarz said there is currently one staff member working half time in early childhood special education and half time in elementary education. Schwarz said she believes the school district will eventually need to add an additional special education instructor for early childhood special education.
“Having those numbers at the elementary levels should reduce the needs later,” she said.
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