2009-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION The Mashpee Public Schools provided special education services during 2008-2009 to an average of 318 students ages three through twenty-one. Eighteen of those students graduated from MHS in June of 2009. The continuum of the special education services range from monitoring of a student's progress to more substantially separate programs, depending on the individual student needs. The Cape Cod Collaborative continues to serve the Mashpee Public Schools by providing programs and support services. Additionally, Mashpee collaborates with the surrounding public school districts, human service agencies, private special education schools, and with Cape Cod Child Development in providing appropriate programming for Mashpee students. Mashpee promotes a strong philosophy of including students with special needs in the life of the school. During the 2008-2009 school year, 152 Kindergarten children were screened resulting in 6 referrals for further evaluation. Mashpee's preschool program screened 39 children with 1 referral for special education evaluation. The community screenings generated 10 children for screening with 2 referrals. Additionally, a total of 166 students had annual review meetings and 97 three-year re-evaluations were accomplished district-wide, grades K— 12. The Student Support Committee met quarterly to review the programmatic needs and progress of the established district-wide Student Support Center programs. Intensive training was also provided to teachers and paraprofessionals working directly with children identified on the autism spectrum. Professional Development activities continue to be provided to staff in an ongoing effort to build capacity within the Special Education Department across the district with the intention of optimizing success for all learners. Monthly staff meetings were held at each school, focusing on special education issues and DESE compliance, with the continuing goal of improving department eligibility with the Massachusetts Department of Education Regulations and improving instructional strategies for students. Staff also worked on enhancing communication, streamlining the testing process, and developing consistency throughout the district. From July 7th to August 14th 2008, Mashpee Public Schools' Special Education Department conducted an extended school year program for eligible students. The district offered a Preschool program, as well as an academic program for grades K-12. Times and days varied according to j the child's needs. Total enrollment for the summer of 2008 was 74 students. Clinical Teams continue to monitor the progress of special education students, make irecommendations on difficult cases, and process new referrals. Core Teams meet weekly to support students with challenging behaviors. A number of special education staff across the district are active members of the Education Leadership Committee. Monthly meetings are held to develop a plan on improving student performance across the district. j The Administrator of Special Education continues to be actively involved in the development of programs for young children. The Community Partnership for Children (CPC) program, with assistance and guidance from the Child Development Council, has provided support for families, young children, day care providers and educators. Currently the Department of Education, through a grant, funds this program in the amount of$99,841. The preschool program provided educational programming for 116 children ages 3-5, which included special needs children, CPC 180