act 117: “every child a learner”
DESCRIPTION
Act 117: “Every Child A Learner”. Presented by: Vermont Department of Education Vermont School Boards Association. Workshop Goals. Review goals and activities of Act 117 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Act 117: “Every Child A
Learner”
Presented by:
Vermont Department of Education
Vermont School Boards Association
Workshop Goals
Review goals and activities of Act 117
Define school board’s role in overseeing the creation and monitoring of an effective education support system for all learners
What Is Act 117?
Passed in the spring of 2000
Strengthen capacity of education system to meet the educational needs of all Vermont students
Act 117 Goals
Increase capacity of general education
Improve consistency of implementation of special education
Promote cost containment and effectiveness
2002 Report to Legislature
Status report on early outcomes and activities to implement Act 117
www.state.vt.us/educ/
History of ESS
1990 Act 230
1996 Act 157
1997 Act 60
2000 Act 117
Increased Flexibility in Use of Special Education
Students with IEPs only
Core Staff IEPs Section 504 Accommodation
Plans EST Plans
Students without any plans under certain conditions
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Why Students Aren’t Succeeding
Think tank approach
What can we do about it
Do we have data to support?
Why Students Aren’t Succeeding
What does Child Count data tell us?
Incidence rate Most common disability
categories Age/grade when identified Gender differences Profile or evaluations
One School’s Story
Obstacles to student success
We can change this
We might be able to change this
We probably cannot change this
One School’s Story
Contributors to student success
Characteristic causes student success
Characteristic is teachable
Characteristic can be developed or compensated for
One School’s Story
Critical next steps What we can and can’t control
Prioritize student needs
What currently exists to meet the needs
Is it working
One School’s Story
Critical next steps
Identify matches and gaps
Prioritize unmet needs
Put into Action Plan
Keys to Ed. Support SystemComprehensive system
School board policy
Clear system for discipline
Supports students to meet standards
Ongoing assessment and evaluation
Keys to Ed. Support System
Training to increase general education capacity
Collaboration with community
Described annually to parents
Includes Educational Support Team
Keys to the Ed. Support Team
Meets regularly
Members from variety of positions
Method to refer to team
Keeps a record of actions
Develops individual plans
Keys to the Ed. Support Team
Assures follow-up
Provides for transitions
Reviews, revises, ends plan
Keys to the Ed. Support Team
Timely referral to special education
Looks for patterns
Informs Action Plan
Information to ESS
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Keys to Ed. Support Team Plan
Clarifies who/what/when/how
Includes follow-up on effectiveness
Provides for transitions
Keys to Ed. Support Team Plan
Reviewed, revised, or ended
Shared with parents and appropriate staff
Part of student file/record
Guiding Principle
What would you want to have
happen if this were your
child?
Role of the School BoardWork with administrators to define goals for educational support systems
Establish accountability systems
Direct creation of time lines
Monitor progress through benchmarks
Role of the School Board
Understand and use student data
Receive periodic Action Plan reports
Recognize and support staff efforts to improve student achievement and success
Role of the School Board
Ask right questions – provide informed oversight
Direct reallocation of funds when data supports it
Look for ESS funds from Medicaid IEP, EPSDT, Act 60 Poverty, Title I, BEST, others
Role of the School Board
Support efforts by allowing and encouraging reallocation of funds to programs that match needs, priorities, and that are effective
Adopt key policies (ESS, professional development, assessment, action plan, evaluation, curriculum….)
Act 117 Resources & Power Point Slides
www.vtvsba.org