Special Education Services Amosene W Sledge Director Special

Special Education Services Amosene W. Sledge Director Special Education Services November 5, 2015

Special Education Services Vision The Office of Special Education Services will provide quality support that empowers staff to implement best practices for student learning, achievement, and personal growth. Core Beliefs • We believe every student is a person of dignity and worth, capable of fully participating in society, and engaging in lifelong learning. • We believe relationships with all stakeholders, based on respect and understanding will result in making decisions in the best interest of students. • We believe all students can learn, have the right to actively participate in high quality, research —based education, and can demonstrate high growth. • We believe high quality professional learning, in conjunction with family and community supports, empowers all stakeholders to collaboratively build capacity for the success of students. 2

Special Education Services has Realized Numerous Successes • Implemented a progress monitoring program (IReady) in all elementary and middle schools • Provided a wide range of professional development opportunities including Managing Crisis Safely Training (MCS) • Provided IPads for students with severe disabilities • Hired Transition Coach • Provided Transition Services for 19 -21 year olds through Project Search at Huntsville Hospital with 100% employment for 2014 -2015 graduates • Offered workshops to Parents/Guardians of Special Needs students • Updated several Multi-needs class rooms • Provided several Webinar Training for staff • Psychometrist administer standardized assessments (Intellectual and Achievement) - teachers no longer have to administer these • 100% compliance on State timelines for 2014 -2015 school year • All essentials and Alabama Alternate Standards (AAS) classes are participating in Community Based Instruction (CBI) 3

Special Education Services Provides Transportation for Students on IEPs • Primary focus is on arriving at school on time • Transportation as specified in the IEP • 2015 -2016 - 314 • 2014 -2015 - 333 4

Special Education Services Has 28 Self-Contained Classrooms Elementary Schools AAA (2) Rolling Hills (2) ASFL (2) Dawson (2) Chapman P-8 (2) Whitesburg P-8 (2) Challenger (3) GSES (1) Multiple areas of disabilities Autism Multiple areas of disabilities Middle Schools Mc. Nair (1) Williams (1) Huntsville Middle (1) Challenger (1) Multiple areas of disabilities High Schools Columbia (1) Grissom (2) Johnson (2) Huntsville (2) Lee (1) Multiple areas of disabilities Multiple areas of disabilities 5

Special Education Services Has Increased Instructional Support Over the Last 5 Years 2015 -2016 School year PROVIDERS # OF STAFF # of staff 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 APPLETON SPECIAL EDUCATION AIDES HCS/SPED INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS 50 101 107 85 169 76 149 70 187 63 PREK SPED TEACHERS 12 12 13 15 16 6

Special Education Child Count Has Gone Up Over the Last 5 Years YEAR 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 CHILD COUNT 2302 2254 2267 2299 2389 7

Huntsville City Schools Has 16 Pre-K Special Education Classes MT. GAP – 2 UNITS FEEDER SCHOOLS FARLEY MT. GAP CHALLENGER WEATHERLY – 2 UNIT FEEDER SCHOOLS WEATHERLY CHAFFEE WHITESBURG MCDONNELL – 1 UNIT FEEDER SCHOOL MCDONNELL JONES VALLEY – 2 UNITS FEEDER SCHOOLS JONES VALLEY BLOSSOMWOOD PROVIDENCE – 1 UNIT LAKEWOOD - 1 UNIT FEEDER SCHOOLS PROVIDENCE FEEDER SCHOOLS LAKEWOOD CHAPMAN - 1 UNIT HAMPTON COVE – 1 UNIT RIDGCREST – 2 UNITS FEEDER SCHOOLS CHAPMAN HAMPTON COVE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. GOLDSMITH – SCHIFFMAN MONTE SANO FEEDER SCHOOLS RIDGECREST UNIVERSITY PLACE MORRIS – 1 UNIT ROLLING HILLS – 1 UNIT MONTVIEW– 1 UNIT FEEDER SCHOOLS MORRIS WILLIAMS FEEDER SCHOOLS ROLLING HILLS DAWSON FEEDER SCHOOLS MONTVIEW HIGHLANDS 8

Special Education Presently Serves 2400 Students With Disabilities 24053 % Of Special Ed % Of Special Students by Ed Students Exceptionality 10 TOTAL SPED without GT Autism Deaf Blind Developmental Delay Emotional Disability Hearing Impaired Intellectual Disability Multiple Disabilities Other Health Impaired Orthopedically Impaired Specific Learning Disabilities Speech or Language Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Impairment 2409 478 1 171 7 48 181 30 374 21 720 366 8 4 20. 0415 7. 3 2 8 1 16. 9 30 15. 3. 2 GIFTED TOTAL SPED 2700 5109 As of 10/29/15 Total Enrollment in HCS 9

Special Education Serves a Variety of Special Needs TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIAL ED STUDENTS AS OF OCTOBER 29, 2015 Traumatic Brain Injury 0% Visual Impairment 0% Speech or Language Impairment 15% Autism 20% Deaf Blind 0% Developmental Delay 7% Specific Learning Disabilities 30% Intellectual Disability 8% Other Health Impaired 16% Orthopedically Impaired 1% Emotional Disability 0% Hearing Imparied 2% Multiple Disabilities 1% 10

Incidence of Autism Is Higher in Huntsville City Schools Than in Any Other System in Alabama • CDC estimates about 1 in 68 children have been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) • 1 in 50 students are identified with ASD in HCS • The number of students served in ASD category in Huntsville City Schools total 478 • 20% of the total Special Education population 11

Huntsville City Schools Special Education is Currently Serving 10 Students at Six Private Schools in 2015 -2016 • Huntsville Achievement School • Wall Highway Baptist Church • Holy Family • Country Day School • Westminster Christian Academy • Holy Spirit 12

HCS Has Referred 269 Students For SPED Evaluation As of 29 Oct 2015 Williams Elementary; 8 Williams Middle; 2 Weatherly; 10 Whitesburg P-8; 20 Rolling Hills; 8 Total Number of Preschool Referrals; 52 Ridgecrest ; 3 Providence; 3 New Century; 1 AAA; 1 Private School Referrals; 7 ASFL; 1 Mt. Gap P-8; 8 Blossomwood; 8 Morris; 12 Chaffee; 13 Montview; 3 Monte Sano; 2 Mc. Nair Jr. High; 3 Challenger Elementary; 6 Mc. Donnell; 10 MLK; 1 Jones Valley; 5 Johnson High; 5 Lee High; 5 Huntsville Jr. High; 2 Huntsville High; 8 Hampton Cove Middle; 4 Grissom; 9 GSES; 5 Lakewood; 1 Highlands; 5 Hampton Cove Elementary; 7 Challenger Middle; 5 Chapman P-8; 1 Columbia High; 7 Dawson; 7 Farley; 4 13

Special Education Services Questions? 14