CASE Collaborative
|
| Concord Area Special Education |
     |
Developmental Disabilities | Hearing, Speech and Language | Emotional/Social Adjustment
Alternative Program
|
Population Description
State
and Federal Laws mandate that school districts provide appropriate educational
services to eligible students with disabilities. CASE is a vehicle that allows school districts to join together
to plan, develop and implement programs for children with special needs. It affords school districts the opportunity
to augment and supplement their special education programs through
collaboration with other school districts. It provides a mechanism for people to share ideas and resources for the
purpose of meeting a common need.
Population Served
The CASE Collaborative Alternative Program serves
children with average or above average intellectual abilities who experience
social, emotional, and/or behavioral difficulties, and have been unable to make
adequate academic and social/emotional developmental progress in the general
education setting. Children from kindergarten through eighth grade are enrolled
in one of four self-contained classes which are housed in member school
districts. The CASE Alternative Program
includes a primary class, an intermediate level class, an upper elementary class and a middle school class.
While
the model of each class is that of a self-contained structure, inclusion in
general education classes is possible. Some students rely on the structure and
therapeutic support of the CASE
classroom and therefore remain in the class the entire school day. Others, for whom progress has been made and
are ready to be more challenged academically and socially participate in one or
more general education classes.
Students
served in the CASE Alternative Program may have one or more of the following
characteristics:
Philosophy
The CASE Alternative Program provides a highly
structured academic and therapeutic classroom milieu in which students can feel
nurtured and safe to take academic and social risks necessary for growth and
progress. The classroom environment is
cultivated by four primary components:
1)
A challenging
curriculum that mirrors the academic expectations of the host school building,
is aligned with Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, and ensures that students
access the general education curriculum;
2)
A therapeutic milieu
that allows staff to capitalize on every student interaction, conversation, and
behavior as an opportunity to offer a corrective learning experience. Other therapeutic services include
individual and group counseling and family support services.
3)
A sense
of class community in which students feel safe, respected, cared for, and
valued as people and as capable learners.
4)
A
behavior management system that is based on classroom values of safety,
respect, and responsibility. Students
who need external support to maintain positive behavior are provided the
structure, predictability and immediacy of consequences to help regulate their
behavior. It is the goal to make these
consequences a natural response to student behavior to emphasize skill building
and self-control.
Staffing
The staff includes a teacher, a counselor, and an assistant
teacher(s). Other specialist services
(e.g. speech and language therapy, occupational therapy) are provided for
students as specified in their Individualized Education Programs (IEP).
Highly specialized instruction is provided to students
individually and in small groups. The
curriculum is designed to mirror the general education curriculum and academic
expectations, as well as to meet the guidelines of the Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks. Instructional methodology, strategies and accommodations are
designed to preserve the integrity of the curriculum while meeting students’
individual learning needs. Students
participate in mandated standardized testing with appropriate accommodations as
described in their IEPs.
An important goal for every student is to gain an increasing
awareness of his or her strengths and weaknesses. The educational climate within each classroom is designed to
promote learning by:
Therapeutic Milieu and Therapy Services
The staff utilizes a team model in providing therapeutic
intervention services to students. The team includes the counselor,
teacher(s), administrator, parents, other school personnel, and
professionals from collateral agencies who may be working with a student and
his/her family. The consistent communication among all team members enables
students to receive the most comprehensive and individualized educational
services needed to address their needs.
The counselor and teacher use a variety of strategies to
cultivate a class culture that fosters a sense of safety, respect and
appreciation of others. In addition,
each student is provided individual therapy sessions and weekly group
counseling with the program counselor.
Parents sign a release of information allowing the
counselor to be in contact with the child’s outside providers (e.g. therapist,
psychiatrist, DSS worker, etc.). It is important that program staff and outside
providers work collaboratively to offer the most comprehensive and unified
treatment opportunities.
Regular communication among the teacher, the counselor
and parents regarding student progress is critical to student success.
Parents and staff may establish a communication system that meets their
individual needs.
Parent and counselor meetings are available for parents
seeking additional support during periods of increased stress or crisis.
Parents also may meet with the teacher and counselor on a regular basis to
address their needs in supporting the growth and progress of their child. When appropriate the counselor may assist
parents in obtaining outside services (e.g. counseling, psychopharmacological,
etc.).
In the event that a child needs crisis intervention
services beyond the scope of what can be provided in a school setting (e.g.
psychiatric hospitalization, Department of Social Service services,
Department of Mental Health services),
CASE Alternative Program staff assist
parents in accessing these services.
Program staff recognize the valuable resource parents can
be for other parents. The counselor will facilitate opportunities to bring
parents together to capitalize on this resource, allowing parents to support
and guide one another.
A comprehensive behavior management system is provided
for students for whom structure and external limits are important elements in
helping them manage and contain their behavior. A daily point system, individual and group behavioral
contracts, positive reinforcement, and
other forms of behavioral management strategies may be utilized to assist
students with self-regulation and self-control issues.
The goal for all students in the CASE Alternative Program
is to develop the necessary academic and social skills to enable them to be
included in general education classes. Each student in a CASE Alternative class is assigned by grade to a
general education class or team in the school. Opportunities exist for students to be included in academic and
non-academic classes and activities as deemed appropriate by the child’s
special education Team. CASE
Alternative Program staff/administrator and host school staff/administrator work
together to address issues that may preclude a student from participating in
any school wide event or activity.
Close monitoring of student progress, as well as
consistent communication between CASE Alternative Program staff and host school
staff occurs to ensure the success of the students’ inclusion experiences.
The
referral process is initiated by the Special Education Department of the
child's school district. Records are
sent to the CASE Program Administrator by the school district. This information should include:
·
Assessments (psychological, academic, other relevant
assessments)
·
Educational history and reports
·
Medical history
·
Current IEP
·
Other pertinent information
Referral information
is reviewed by the CASE Program Administrator and the Program staff. If it appears that the child’s needs can be
met in one of the classes, a visit to the class being considered for placement
is then arranged for the parents and the representative of the local school
district. The CASE Program staff and
administrator also arrange an observation of the child in his/her current
educational setting. Placement in the
CASE Alternative Program is determined by agreement of the special educational
Team.
CASE Alternative Program Classes:
The referral process is initiated by the Special Education Department of the school district in which the child resides.
120 Meriam Road
Concord, MA 01742
Please direct inquiries and referrals to:
|
Programs | Organization | Services | Jobs | Links
Concord Area Special Education Collaborative
120 Meriam Road,
Concord, MA 01742
Tel. 978-318-1534
Fax 978-371-7858
Free Graphics provided
by Ever Eden Design