District Administration - June 2011 - (Page 55)

of the total—have Individualized Education Programs. All but 85 are served in typical district schools, says Sharon Gronemeyer, assistant superintendent of student services. The district has more teachers’ aides than in the past “due to the significance of the students we’re seeing,” she says. “We have a large number of students on the autism influxes of families with autistic students because the district has a reputation for serving them well, says Amelia Van NameLarson, the district’s supervisor of curriculum and instructional services. “They move into our county specifically so their kids can attend our schools,” she says. Westside Community Schools 66 in lenges. “The principals are up front with us in saying, ‘This is so important to us,’” Milliken says, adding that the end of stimulus funding means the district is searching for ways to keep the training sustainable. “We’re trying to work that out,” he says. “It won’t be quite as regular.” RTI and PBIS Learning disabilities are not as numerous compared to just five years ago, at least partly due to efforts to recognize those disabilities in early childhood and address them through Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies, says East of the NASDSE. “It’s getting the kids early with evidence-based instruction, with the hopes of preventing many children from needing special ed services later on,” he says. Kathleen Whitmire, director of the RTI Action Network of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, adds that district administrators and school principals nationwide have expressed that RTI has been effective in reducing the number of special ed referrals. “They credit this “They move into our county specifically so their kids can attend our schools.” —Amelia Van Name-Larson, supervisor of curriculum and instructional services, Pasco County (Fla.) Schools spectrum, and a very large number that would qualify as multineeds.” “That’s kind of the new front line,” O’Donovan of Los Alamitos agrees. “We’re qualifying fewer kids with specific disabilities, most often reading, because we’re teaching it better. But we have more autistic kids and kids with behavioral issues. The numbers are about the same, but the population is different.” Pasco County (Fla.) Schools has seen Omaha, Neb., has seen its autistic population quadruple in the past 10 years. Steve Milliken, director of special services, says this is partly because, as with Pasco County, “we have a lot of families move in from other districts who want inclusive services.” They’ve brought in trainers for teachers two full days per quarter for the past two years, paid through $100,000 of federal stimulus money, to help them address the additional behavioral chal- www.DistrictAdministration.com June 2011 55 http://www.fsrinc.com http://www.fsrinc.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - June 2011

District Administration - June 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Curriculum News
Sustainability News
Administrator Profile
District Profile
District-Level Downsizing
Lessons Learned from One-to-One
Partner for One-to-One Success
Pioneering States
The Changing Role of the CTO
New Directions for Special Ed
Problem/Solution
Books
Products
Student Counsel
Going Mobile
Professional Opinion

District Administration - June 2011