(Coach Lindsey Daniels works with a teacher at our November Collaborative Institute)Welcome to November!
Just a reminder about the title of this site: Students First. We are committed to using "student first" language and practice throughout our school system. We educate students who receive special education services. Our staff support students with disabilities. Our students are students first, and are not defined by categories or disabilities.
A core priority in practice in highly effective Districts and schools throughout the country, and in many excellent schools in Seattle, is to provide services that work in the best possible setting. For some students, direct instruction in a small group setting is the right model for making growth on a key IEP goal. For the same students, learning in the general education classroom with modified or adapted work, perhaps with the support of an additional adult, is the most effective way to make growth in another goal.
Focusing on service delivery helps us to truly provide more individualized instruction that is tailored to a student's IEP goals and objectives, and it means that we are providing access to the least restrictive environment. We provide integrated comprehensive services when our staff members--teachers, instructional assistants, and school leaders--work collaboratively to build schedules that support students in their individualized learning learning plans.
A key to providing services is continual progress monitoring and adjustment when necessary. If our students are not making progress toward their goals, we need to adjust the specially designed instruction--the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction--so that it is more effective.
Last week we held a second Collaborative Institute for school teams who are providing Integrated Comprehensive Services. We had teams from five schools, with instructional assistants, teachers, related service providers, and principals attending. Topics included: effective team building, collaboration and co-teaching, disability awareness and strategies that work, positive behavior supports, and developing powerful service plans for students. Professor Ilene Schwartz joined us for a day of training, with a focus on creating classrooms that support all learners.
As a District we are continuing our focus on training ALL staff in disability awareness and strategies to support all students. In particular we are expanding our professional development in autism spectrum awareness; we know that we are seeing dramatically increasing numbers of students who can thrive when we provide supports and services specific to social, emotional, and sensory needs.
Your teachers and principal are the first people to contact if your student is struggling to reach her/his goals. Each school also has a Consulting Teacher and a Supervisor, another level of support for students and families. See here for links to information about elementary and secondary consulting teachers and supervisors.
Finally, we lost a dear member of our department last week. Consulting teacher Neli Morillo has worked in Seattle Schools special education services for twenty years, and has been a consulting teacher with Middle Schools for more than a decade. Neli was a caring advocate for all students and a wise, supportive colleague. We will miss her deeply.
Thank you for sharing your students with us, and do not hesitate to contact our department directly with any questions or concerns at 252-0058.
