Educational Support Team (EST) for Classroom Teachers

 

Purpose:  An EST is a group of people who function as a Òthink tankÓ to help solve the puzzle of what is going on with a student and determine what s/he might need to be more successful as a learner.

 

Definition: The job of the EST is to:

      

Ÿ  have diverse expertise

Ÿ     develop of student plans

Ÿ  meet regularly

Ÿ     support implementation

Ÿ  know child development

Ÿ     determine effectiveness of plans

Ÿ  know school and community resources

Ÿ     communicate trends to School Action Planning Team

Ÿ  brainstorm accommodations, instructional strategies, curriculum adjustments

Ÿ     support students, teachers & parents

                 

What does this mean for students?

¤       A team process involving people knowledgeable about the student

¤       An individualized plan with support for implementation and follow-up

¤       Connection with the school and community resources of the Educational Support System (ESS)

¤       A variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of individual students

¤       Academic and non-academic support

 

 

What does this mean for staff?

á      A forum to identify strategies for helping students

á      A broad range of expertise

á      A range of in-school and community supports

á      Individualized EST plans

á      A group that can identify trends, school wide needs and make recommendations for responding to those needs

 

 

(Section 504 on back)


Section 504 for Classroom Teachers

 

Purpose: ÒNo otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the U.S. É shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.Ó

                                                                                 Rehabilitation Act of 1973

 

Definition:

It isÉ

   It is NOTÉ

Federal law – civil rights legislation

Protection from discrimination

Applicable to programs receiving Federal funds

   NOT IDEA

   NOT State enforced

   NOT funded - comes with no funds attached

 

Who is protected?

People with temporary or permanent disabilities

i.e.   emotional or mental illnesses or conditions

physiological conditions or anatomical losses

disabilities regarding learning (ADD, etc.).

 

That substantially limits a major life activity such as:

Walking, seeing, breathing, hearing, speaking, working, learning - compared with the average population.

504 applies to equal opportunity to participate in academics and non-academics.

A student who is impaired but succeeding does not need a plan.

 

 

What does this mean for students?

 

What does this mean for staff?

¤    A team process involving people knowledgeable about the student and the disability

¤    Accommodations to access education

¤    An individualized plan

¤    Plans that are revisited periodically

¤    Academic and non-academic protections

¤    Parents Rights

¤    Advance planning for upcoming situations, such as field trips, etc.

 

 

á       A forum to strategize and develop plans for helping students

á       Specific expertise

á       Accommodations, related aids and services

á       Prior planning for field trips and non-academics

á       Individualized 504 plans

á       Periodic review of effectiveness in accessing education

 

 

 

Special Education (IDEA 2004) for Classroom Teachers

 

Purpose:  ÒTo ensure that all students with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. . .Ó

                Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA)

 

Definition: A student is eligible for special education in Vermont if they meet the following three criteria.

 

1)       The student has a disability

 

Developmental delay (age 3 thru 5), learning impairment, specific learning disability, visual impairment, deafness or being hard of hearing, speech or language impairment, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, emotional disturbance, autism, traumatic brain injury, deaf-blindness, and multiple-disabilities.

 

         If the student has a disability keep going; if not refer to EST.

 

2)      The disability results in an adverse effect on the studentÕs educational performance in 1 or more of the basic skill areas

Basic Skill Areas:

         aOral expression                     aListening comprehension

         aWritten expression               aBasic reading skills

         aReading comprehension           aMathematics calculation

         aMathematics reasoning           aMotor skills

 

Note regarding Specific Learning Disabilities

Basic Skill Areas for specific learning disability include: oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading, reading fluency, reading comprehension, mathematics calculation or mathematics reasoning. Additionally, responsiveness to instruction (RtI) may be used as part of the evaluation procedures to identify specific learning disabilities.

 

If the studentÕs disability has an adverse effect on his/her education keep going; if not, refer for 504 consideration.

 (Continued on back)

 

 

3)      The student needs special education services to benefit from his or her educational program and this support cannot be provided through the educational support system (ESS), standard instructional conditions or supplementary aids and services provided in the school. 

 

If yes, the student is eligible for special education. If not, refer for 504 consideration.

 

What does this mean for students?

 

What does this mean for staff?

¤       A team process involving people knowledgeable about the student, general education curriculum, disabilities and the provision of special education and related services

¤       A comprehensive evaluation, and

re-evaluations at least every 3 years

¤       An Individualized Education Program (IEP), that is reviewed at least annually, and may include accommodations to access education

¤       Parental Rights and Safeguards

 

 

á      A forum to strategize and develop programs for helping students

á      A broad range of expertise including related service personnel

á      Collaboration with special educators

á      Individualized Education Programs (IEP) that include present levels of performance, annual goals, specific special education services and, if applicable, related services and accommodations

á      Evaluation of the studentÕs progress towards annual goals