This document provides a summary of a presentation about supporting charter schools to serve increased numbers of students with disabilities. The presentation was given by Bob Farran, a consultant and former SELPA Director, and Christine Suh, Ed.D, the Executive Director of Program Development at DirectEd Specialized Services. Contact information is provided for Mihal Spiegel at DirectEd for those seeking more information. The presentation covers the history of charter schools and service delivery models, the continuum of service options available to support students with disabilities, and considerations for implementing expanded services at charter schools.

1. Supporting Charter Schools to
Serve Increased
Numbers of Students with
Disabilities
Presented by DirectEd Specialized Services:
Bob Farran, Consultant & former SELPA Director, SW SELPA
Christine Suh, Ed.D, Executive Director of Program Development
For More Info:
Mihal Spiegel
Info@direct-edss.com
323-391-1622

2. Warm Up
 On your index card answer the following
question:
 What are the current services that are offered
for students with disabilities at your school?
 On a post it answer the following question
and place it on the large poster:
 What is 1 question you would like to have
answered regarding serving students with
disabilities at your school?

3. Objective:
APWAT:
Identify steps that will need to be taken to
expand the continuum of services offered to
support students with disabilities at their
charter school after various models are
presented.

4. BRIEF HISTORY AND
BACKGROUND OF
CHARTERS

5. History of SELPA’s and
Charter Service Delivery
Models
 Full Inclusion Model
 Embedded interventions for ALL students
before, during and after school
 Increased accommodations and training for
General Education teachers
 Collaborative effort and ownership by both
General Education and Special Education
teachers in serving ALL students
 Focus on Administrator Training

6. Growth in Charters
 Independent vs Dependent
 Start Up vs Conversion/Transformation
 SDP’s at larger charters
 SELPA Support
 Technical Assistance
 Data Management and Compliance Reporting
 Case Management Support for Challenging
Cases
 Provision and Delivery of Services

7. Charter Schools in CA

8. CONTINUUM OF SERVICES
AND LEVELS OF
SUPPORT: RESOURCE
PROGRAM

9. Continuum of Services:
RSP Example
*Students can receive any combination of the
above depending on their needs and the IEP team
decision.

10. LEVEL 1: CONSULTATION

11. What Does Consultation Look Like?
Consultation is an indirect service where the special education
and general education teachers discuss a variety of topics
related to support students with IEPs
Consultation topics include:
Student progress,
Behavior supports,
Instructional accommodations and modifications,
Testing accommodations,
Consultation should be planned on a regular basis, but can
occur more frequently as needed
11

12. When Should Consultation Occur?
Consultation needs to occur regularly and systematically
(Conference periods, weekly meetings etc) and throughout the year:
Weekly as teachers are planning their lesson plans to ensure
special education teacher is aware of assignments/tests and that
student’s IEP accommodations are implemented.
Monthly or bi-monthly to reflect on student progress to determine if
adjustments in services/supports are needed
Quarterly to monitor students who are failing or are in danger of
failing and make necessary changes via IEP process if needed.
Before important assessments to plan testing accommodations
At the end of the course to review grading plans and reflect on the
semester
12

13. RSP: LEVEL 2:
CO-TEACHING/COLLABORATION
MODELS

14. Models of Co-Teaching
 Joint Delivery*
 Small Group Station Teaching*

15. Models of Co-Teaching
 Parallel Teaching
 One Teach/One Assist

16. How Do You Choose a Model?
What works best for the students should be the primary
consideration
Different models can be utilized as needed and as they fit into
lessons and subject matter with varying applicability
Use of collaborative models should be flexible and
adjustments should be made as teachers reflect on what is
working and what is not.
Teachers need to take subject matter and levels of expertise
into account when planning support models
Decisions should be made collaboratively and both teachers
need to be open to adapting the model as needed.
16

17. LEVEL 3:
DIRECT INSTRUCTION FROM
RST
Pull out during Advisory, HR, PE etc

18. Direct Instruction:
Advisory, HR, PE etc
 Providing support to students in achieving their IEP
goals and accessing general education curriculum:
 Specific Instruction that targets student’s IEP
goals
 Reviewing Grades
 Assignments/Tests that need to be made up
 Preparing for upcoming Assignments/TestsFrontloading
 Reinforcing/Re-teaching instruction that has been
provided in the general education setting

19. LEVEL 4:
DIRECT INSTRUCTION FROM
RST
Learning Center/Resource Elective

20. Direct Instruction:
Learning Center Elective Course
A Learning Center Elective Course should be a structured class
designed to provide direct instruction on needed learning skills, math
and literacy intervention/remediation, and support with work from
general education classes
Learning Skills instruction includes: transition skills, organization skills,
study skills, and test taking skills
Intervention/remediation lessons are based on assessed needs in math and
literacy
General Education support through:
Progress monitoring/Consultation with general education teachers for
the purpose of pre teaching, re-teaching and reinforcing general
education curriculum.
Direct support with assignments, Extended time for assignments/tests
20

21. SYSTEMS OF
COLLABORATION

22. Systems of
Collaboration
 As a resource teacher, the success of
students with IEP’s relies heavily on the
collaboration between yourself and student’s
general education teachers.
 Expectations must be clear as to
roles/responsibilities of all parties involved.
 Relationships must be built on trust and
mutual respect.
 IE General Education Teacher is the expert on
the content in which they teach and Special
Educators are experts on adapting content to
ensure all students needs are met.

23. Systems of
Collaboration
 Systems of collaboration with general
education teachers can include:
 Weekly Assignment Templates and
supplemental materials from General
Education Teachers
 A re-occurring weekly meeting maker with
this template should be sent out to remind
teachers to submit necessary materials to
the Resource Teachers.
 Teachers can create Drop Box Folders and
upload materials/share with RST

24. Systems of Collaboration
continued..
 Planned frontloading, reinforcement or
re-teaching of content based on
feedback from general education
teachers and student assessments.
 Knowledge of assignments, projects,
tests, quizzes that need to be completed
by individual students
 Text books from each general education
content area course as well as novels must
be available in the Learning Center

25. Systems and Logistics Required for
Effectiveness for Schools with
Learning Center Elective Courses
Determine:
#1: Where will all submitted general education teacher
work be placed?
– Ex: Trays for each teacher to place materials for that
week/Drop files or Binders for accumulated materials
throughout the semester

26. Systems and Logistics Required for
Effectiveness for Schools with
Learning Center Elective Courses
Determine:
#2: If a student is sent to the learning center to take
an assessment, where will this be placed if they do
not complete it during the time allotted? (*refer to
testing pass to support with logistics as well)
– Ex: Drop file for each student by grade level/AS class
period where these materials as well as other make
up/goal related activities can be placed

27. Systems and Logistics Required for
Effectiveness for Schools with
Learning Center Elective Courses
Determine:
#3: If a student needs additional time to complete an
assessment/assignment, how will this be
communicated to general education teachers and
what will be the system in which these items are
returned to them?
– Ex. Submission tray in Learning Center and all materials
can be delivered to General Education teachers at the end
of each day.
*Computers need to be available in the Learning Center for
essay writing/support for research projects etc.

28. Identify Changes
Desired
 What are the steps that would need to
take place to expand the services
provided within your resource program?
 Step 1
 Step 2
 Step 3

29. SUPPORTING STUDENTS
WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS

30. Hybrid Model-SDP/RSP
 Full Inclusion Model
 ELA + Math in Special Education Setting
 Developing Qualifications/Criteria for
Participation in the Hybrid Model
 Curriculum + Programs




Achieve 3000
System 44/Read 180
Unique Learning
Etc

31. Certificate of
Completion
 What do I do to further support my
students who are earning their Certificate
of Completion?
 What courses focus on developing basic ELA
and Math skills?
 What elective courses do you offer?
 Vocational Pathways
 What resources do you have access to?
 Curriculum?
 Computer Software?

32. Example Schedule






English Intervention
Math Intervention
Learning Center Elective
Learning Center Elective: Transition Skills
Vocational Pathway
Art/Computer/Tech Elective

33. Planning for
Implementation
 What are the steps that would need to
take place to expand the services
provided to students who need additional
support?
 Step 1
 Step 2
 Step 3

34. Reminders:
Successful Inclusive Model
Components




Trained GE and SPED staff
Buy-in from all stakeholders
Adapted lessons for M/M and M/S students
Continuum of service options (not just
standard 2 X 60 min/week)
 Informed parents
 School-wide disability awareness and
tolerance
 Good Teaching!!

35. THANK YOU!
PLEASE COMPLETE THE
EVALUATION!