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Handle With Care Training
October 27-28, 2011
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
750 25th Avenue
Multipurpose Room
Contact: Laura Ramirez,
dominguezl@sfusd.edu
Professional Development Opportunity for Speech-Language Pathologists
"African-American Students in California Schools: Guidelines for the Assessment of
Language and Communication"
November 29, 2011
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Roosevelt Middle School
Auditorium
460 Arguello Blvd.
Contact: Gretchen Sharp,
sharpg@sfusd.edu
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Hello, Faithful Readers!
Welcome to the ninth issue of "The Special Edition."
If you have any suggestions for topics we should include in upcoming issues, please email spedfeedback@sfusd.edu.
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Announcements
- Please read this pertinent flowchart regarding CMA Testing in ELA and Math.
- We have also uploaded a "State Testing Flowchart Guide" as well. You can access it by clicking here and then downloading the document called "State Testing.Flowchart Guide.doc".
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Inclusive Practices Task Force
The San Francisco Inclusion Task Force, an ongoing group of teachers, family and community members, administrators, support and related services staff has been working to develop and enhance inclusive services in and with San Francisco schools since inclusion started in the first 10 schools in 1994, and is very interested now in working with the many SFUSD schools that are new to inclusive service delivery. The SFITF was established by the district as a 'stakeholder' group to assist with development and monitoring of inclusive schools. The SFITF has accomplished numerous tasks in its volunteer history. For example, the ITF:
- Authored the district's first handbook on inclusive education in 1995;
- Assisted with Board of Education LRE policy and teacher contract language on inclusive services in 1996;
- Held topical meetings to problem solve on inclusive issues and disseminate research-based practices from then until now;
- Designed and provided volunteer support to 'new' schools from more experienced inclusive school teams;
- Developed and provided professional development across schools, teams and audiences, from 1994 through the present;
- Partnered with the SFUSD Teacher Leader grant for on-site professional development on differentiation;
- Provided evening and weekend information and training sessions through Support For Families of Children with Disabilities;
- Served as major contributors to the district Core Curriculum for All differentiation and adaptations manual and have provided ongoing and specific recommendations to administration and the Board of Education for improvement and expansion of inclusive services district wide.
SFITF participants welcome all interested teachers, school and district administrators, parents, related services and other staff to our monthly meetings, held at West Portal Elementary School on Lenox Way. The next three meetings are scheduled for
4-5:30 PM on Tuesday, November 15th; Tuesday, December 13th; and Wednesday, January 11th. ITF members are very interested in advising, assisting and problem-solving with any staff and parents, especially those from newly inclusive schools, and would welcome the opportunity to plan our activities for the rest of the 2011-12 school year together. Hope to see you there!
Questions? Contact Ann Halvorsen at ann.halvorsen@csueastbay.edu.
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Staff Spotlight: Joaquin Macias
Special Education Services is thrilled to welcome Joaquin Macias to our team.
Joaquin is currently serving as Community Relations Coordinator - Screening and Assessment while Guiselle Ferretti is out on maternity leave. Joaquin started a month ago, and will be with us until December when Winter Break begins.
Joaquin is no stranger to SFUSD. Not only did he work as an Elementary Advisor at Bryant Elementary School last year, but he also went to SFUSD schools as a kid, including Buena Vista, Horace Mann, and Thurgood Marshall! One of the things that Joaquin loved most about that position was that he identified with parents, and could help them navigate through the often complex obstacles they may come across in the school system.
In his spare time, Joaquin loves to travel. He has taken several yearlong backpacking trips, and says that his favorite countries that he has visited so far are "Cambodia, Bolivia, and Kenya." Joaquin majored in International Relations at Alliant International University, and studied abroad in Mexico City and Kenya as well. While he will be heading out to Greece soon, he hopes to explore more of Africa, including Mozambique, Angola, and Uganda.
Joaquin is also heavily involved in launching a new restaurant, The Vine, in Fremont with close friends. He even designed the restaurant's website, which you can visit at www.thevineinniles.com. Joaquin recommends "definitely the grilled flatbreads, and the blackened salmon, too!" (In fact, we looked at the menu, and we are salivating ... the food sounds amazing!) You can also catch Joaquin mixing drinks as the resident bartender at The Vine.
Welcome to the team, Joaquin! We are excited to have you on board!
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CORNERSTONE ON DEMAND
All Special Educators shall have received an email request to join Cornerstone on Demand (CSOD) by Tuesday, October 25. Please take a few minutes and register as a user.
Explore the site and begin to get familiar with the navigation. Our Knowledge Bank will grow as we move towards creating a robust library of resources. Check out the Power Point presentation "All Kids Can," presented this summer by Jean Robertson and Lisa Miller, Supervisors for Special Education. If you still have not received an email invitation by the end of day Tuesday, please email csodhelp@sfusd.edu.
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FAQ
What do I do when my paraprofessional is out and I don't have a subsitute?
ANSWER:
- Check school messages to see if the para has called in sick.
- Check the online substitute system to see if job has been posted by para (All school sites have access to this, if you do not, please contact Sub Office in HR for access).
- If the job is posted, and no one is at your site, a sub did not pick up the job.
- If you need a sub please contact Becky Lowe or Francena Cranshaw who run the substitute office in Human Resources.
- The sub office is open from 5:00am-3:00pm each day.
- It is the school sites responsibility to contact the sub office in HR should they have any questions regarding their employees absences.
- Please work directly with the Substitute Office to secure subs for your paraprofessionals.
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Articles for Reflection and Professional Development
This is an ongoing section where we will provide a current and relevant research article. The goal is to promote discussion and intellectual stimulation amongst SFUSD staff, schools, and the community.
This week's article concerns inclusive practices in New York. According to the article's introduction, "This study investigates the current state of inclusion practices in general education classrooms via survey of 71 inclusion teachers currently serving as special educators across the state of New York. Specifically, small group instruction, co-teaching, one- to-one instruction, and planning support are explored in relationship to class size, number of students with disabilities, and severity of disability. The qualifications, strengths, and professional development experiences of inclusion teachers based on their reported years of teaching experience, preparatory course work, and professional development opportunities are examined. Finally, information on common forms of assistance including consultant special education teachers, teacher assistants, and classroom volunteers are documented."
For full text of the article, please click here.
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Compliance Update
The IEP team must periodically review, but not less frequently than annually, the student's IEP, including progress toward previous annual goals and progress in the general curriculum when developing new goals. There are no extensions of timeline for Annual meetings. Please plan accordingly to ensure your meetings are held within one calendar year of the previous meeting.
Documenting progress on goal achievement is addressed in Goalview within the "Mark Progress" menu choice in the left side bar. Users will create a progress report for the student's goals. The progress report will reside in the student's Documents menu choice, as shown below:
Teachers can also reference the IEP Meeting Agenda/Checklist to assist with compliance. The Agenda/Checklist is available on Goalview. If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your Special Education Coordinator.
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Procedural Handbook Update
Do you keep track of the contact you have with families in trying to schedule meetings? A sample communication log is available for you to use and is easily accessible through our Special Education Handbook. Click HERE to take a look.
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Sincerely,
Communications Team
Special Education Services, SFUSD
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This newsletter is for SFUSD employees and community partners. If you do not have an SFUSD e-mail address and would like to receive this newsletter, please join our mailing list.
For newsletter feedback or more information, please contact us at spedfeedback@sfusd.edu.
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