SPS Updates
Looks like the Highly Capable item on tonight's Board agenda has an updated superintendent procedure draft. The most interesting part is this:
Identification
A Multidisciplinary Selection Committee reviews each candidate's test scores and Teacher/Educator Rating Scales to determine eligibility. SPS’s established eligibility thresholds are not absolute qualifiers or disqualifiers; teacher input is also an important consideration. In order to provide equitable opportunities for all students and to uphold the intent of WAC language regarding protected classes [WAC 392-170-035], the MSC will give special consideration to and assess the impact of the following factors: cultural diversity, SES, linguistic background, and identified disability.
A Multidisciplinary Selection Committee reviews each candidate's test scores and Teacher/Educator Rating Scales to determine eligibility. SPS’s established eligibility thresholds are not absolute qualifiers or disqualifiers; teacher input is also an important consideration. In order to provide equitable opportunities for all students and to uphold the intent of WAC language regarding protected classes [WAC 392-170-035], the MSC will give special consideration to and assess the impact of the following factors: cultural diversity, SES, linguistic background, and identified disability.
In the field of gifted education, students who are both gifted and disabled are considered
twice-exceptional learners. Seattle Public Schools' Advanced Learning Office recognizes
the importance of identifying and serving these students both with specialized
educational services and through 504 accommodations. Working in close collaboration
with school and Special Education personnel, our staff supports these students in a
number of important ways. Advanced Learning staff provides accommodations for
students during intake assessments, observes students in classes to determine the best
accommodations and specially designed instruction (including individual classes in a
student’s areas of strength), and participates in Student Intervention Team and
Individual Education Plan meetings as needed to ensure students’ needs for gifted
services are recognized. Advanced Learning staff also collaborates with experts in the
Special Education Department and from the community to provide ongoing professional
development for teachers in advanced learning programs.
As well, it seems that Director Blanford has decided to have a December community meeting after all. It will be December 20th at the Douglass Truth Library from 10-11:30 am.
As well, it seems that Director Blanford has decided to have a December community meeting after all. It will be December 20th at the Douglass Truth Library from 10-11:30 am.
Comments
-figures
Sorry there are no experts at SPS only minimally qualified people at best, but maybe that's the SPS definition of expert.
--Michael
Unfortunately, Spectrum and APP, with their current focus on acceleration, are just not good programs for a lot of 2E kids. They can be fine for some disabilities, but when the disability results in a low achievement scores, especially if it also makes dealing with 'boring' work difficult, the kid is pretty much out of luck in SPS.
I like this language, but I think any changes will be too late for my kid. We're looking at private middle schools, after a painful elementary career with a bunch of amazing teachers who tried really hard but could only do so much within the constraints of SPS curriculum and student loads.
DISTRICT SPECIFIC:
OSPI has ordered the District to complete the special education comprehensive corrective action plan (C-CAP), which includes developing and implementing procedures to address the same type of procedural violations identified in this citizen complaint. OSPI will continue to closely monitor the District's progress toward the completion of the C-CAP.
Some people never learn.
-diane
That's our district's winning formula that, given the Interim's Friday memo, really amounts to nothing.
Where did that come from?
--Michael
shake it off
General Ed is particularly ill-suited for gifted kids with learning disabilities. Unfortunately, these kids often don't test well, and have a hard time getting into APP. Acceleration isn't what they need anyway, since they can have very uneven development (talks like a college student, writes like a second grader, freaks out in a noisy cafeteria).
So HCC program entrance requirements will move from an objective measure to a subjective one based on skin color and ethnicity? Will there be a matrix published listing the different entrance requirements for different categories of students? This is ridiculous, even for PC Seattle.
Stop Institutional Racism.
de linked
de linked
Do you mean stopping the institutional racism towards non-whites here? That would be a grand idea.
Not Post Racial Yet
Think bigger.
NPRY
I find to extremely hard believe this is more than pure rhetoric.
Serving 2E SLD students is by far the most difficult and challenging issues facing SPS SPED. These students realize their disability and are more prone to hide it thru various methods, they are also the most at risk of suicide. Unless you are trained and skilled in dealing with these types of students you will only cause harm in attempting to help them.
What a great day it will be when 2Es can get a level playing field, but that day is a long way off for SPS.
Boomer