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Preschool Inclusion in a Public School System

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Preschool Inclusion in a Public School System A Road Less Traveled, But Worth Every Bump! Granite School District Set in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah 70,000 ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Preschool Inclusion in a Public School System


1
Preschool Inclusion in a Public School System
  • A Road Less Traveled,
  • But Worth Every Bump!

2
Granite School District
  • Set in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 70,000 students Pre-K through 12
  • Ranks as one of the nations 40 largest school
    districts
  • 20.5 Hispanic
  • 3.4 Pacific Islander
  • 3.3 Asian
  • 1.7 African American
  • 1.2 American Indian
  • 69.9 Caucasian

3
Granite Preschool History
  • Preschool happening but not together!
  • Long standing district sponsored parent co-op
    preschool for 3 and 4 year olds.
  • Hit and miss Title 1 funded preschool at some but
    not all Title 1 schools no standard for
    services/curriculum
  • Long standing segregated preschool special
    education classes
  • Once upon a time Head Start Grantee

4
Preschool - THEN
  • 16 self-contained classes in 15 schools
  • 17 Title 1 classes in 16 schools
  • 16 Co-op classes in 14 schools
  • Serving 1800 children
  • Curriculum teacher made
  • Head Start eligible children received SpEd
    services only in district preschools
  • Very little collaboration, cooperation,
    communication between preschools even those
    located in the same building
  • Preschool under separate leadership departments
  • All professional development done separately and
    sporadic

5
Granite School DistrictPreschool Options
  • Community Education Preschool Parent Co-op
    Tuition based
  • Title I Preschool
  • Special Education Preschool
  • Head Start
  • Childrens Center
  • Carmen Pingree School
  • Utah Schools for the Deaf Blind
  • Even Start
  • High School Applied Technology Child Development

6
Timeline for ChangeThe Early Stages
  • 2002
  • July-October gathering information about
    existing preschools (separate departments within
    district)
  • October-December newly formed Leadership Team
    to discuss future Preschool Department
  • Members Co-op, Sp Ed, Title 1, Even Start,
    Applied Technology

7
Timeline Continued
  • 2003
  • January Preschool Advisory Committee formed
    (included preschool representatives from
    different departments plus parents 25 members)
  • February-March- 1)Advisory and Leadership groups
    met 2) meetings with district level
    administrators to intro proposed inclusion model
    3)focus group meetings held with School level
    Title 1 specialists, preschool teachers, related
    services staff, classroom teaching assistants and
    principals

8
Timeline
  • 2003 continued
  • March Co-op teachers started anti-inclusion
    campaign with parents
  • Parent meeting was held to address concerns
  • Question/Answer sheet developed and sent to
    all Co-op parents
  • May-June Advisory Committee and Leadership Team
    developed proposed plan for the 2003-2004 school
    year
  • Letters to the school board and newspapers
    caused much up-roar board questions the purpose
    of the Big Change

9
2003-2004A year of compromise
  • Preschool Department formed
  • 2 schools to pilot inclusive preschools
    side-by-side with self-contained classes
  • All other schools with multiple classrooms are
    encouraged to provide inclusive opportunities
    (13 schools identified)
  • Creative Curriculum adopted district wide
  • All professional development will be done as a
    department focus on literacy, numeracy and
    social development
  • Development of department policy/procedure manual
  • Continue to develop the phase in plan for
    inclusion

10
Enter New Director
  • 2003
  • August-October pilot implemented at 2 schools
  • Department struggles to come together a mix of
    philosophies, curriculum, education background
    etc
  • November New director hiredthe pilot and phase
    in plan gets overhauled
  • December parent meetings held all 3 were well
    attended
  • Principal meetings held to get feedback, input,
    and ask/answer questions
  • Dialogue with district superintendency parent
    and principal meeting outcomes shared/discussed

11
Parent Meetings
  • Brief introduction of current preschool programs
    (Co-op, Title 1 and Special Ed)
  • Brief introduction of laws, regulations, and
    state rules that govern preschools
  • Brief introduction to proposed plan
  • Open dialogue without judgmentall responses from
    parents are recorded the good, the bad and the
    VERY ugly

12
School Board Presentation
  • January 2004 Closed session with the school
    board and upper administration. Presentation
    centered around IDEA statute, regs and state
    rules regarding LRE and placement.
  • Open meeting with School Board attended by
    numerous parents and staff members
  • February Board unanimously supports full
    inclusion for preschool to begin August 2004

13
Fast Track to Inclusion District-wide
  • Multiple meetings with staff to prepare for
    2004-05 school year colorful dialogue with
    staff many threats to leave program, fears were
    revealed, but mostly anticipation and excitement
  • Coordinators worked all summer to ensure that
    professional development was ready to meet the
    needs of staff
  • New pay scale was approved all staff received a
    raise
  • Work with transportation to get children from 14
    schools to 34 schools

14
Preschool - NOW
  • Preschool at 38 elementary schools
  • 64 classrooms 180 sessions of preschool each
    week
  • 250 staff members
  • 2500 children served
  • 18 children per session 3-5 children with
    disabilities
  • All lead teachers have minimum of CDA- Many with
    BS or higher
  • Teacher Assistants number per class dictated by
    childrens needs
  • Secured increased support from Title 1,
    Special Education and tuition increase approved

15
  • Special Education teachers/consultants assigned
    to each classroom
  • Related services provided based on childrens
    needs
  • Head Start eligible children receive all services
    at Head Start
  • Professional Development each month special
    education staff meetings/trainings
  • Teacher resource library
  • Department Coordinators have gelled work
    together toward a common end network support
  • Great new department location together
    evaluation centervery visible

16
1 year under our belt
  • Effective communication continues to be a
    struggle within the department
  • Monthly Professional Development was successful
    Share Fair was very popular
  • Those who were the loudest doubters have become
    die hard supportersand very vocal about it!
  • Year end Celebration of Our Successes was very
    emotional so many stories to share

17
  • Questions still surround roles of each staff
    team member a bit of the turf wars
  • Zero parent complaints received by Board of
    Education a first for preschool!
  • District support is more evident
    transportation, upper administration, human
    resources, buildings/boundaries
  • Word is getting aroundwe have had the largest
    number of high quality applicants in preschool
    history!

18
Whats Next?
  • Continue to improve communication within the
    department
  • Continue monthly professional development staff
    have now identified areas of needed
    training/information
  • Look forward to preschool classrooms in each
    elementary all children would then attend their
    neighborhood school
  • CELEBRATE our SUCCESSES, LEARN from our
    CHALLENGES!

19
Need More Information?
  • brenda.broadbent_at_granite.k12.ut.us
  • maryann.fetzer_at_granite.k12.ut.us
  • Granite School District
  • Preschool Services Department
  • 2500 South State
  • Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
  • 801-646-4670
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