The Director's Report

One Team. One Dream.

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October 22, 2019

Updates:

Faculty and Staff:

District-wide School Social Worker: Andrea Coelho
District-wide Board Certified Behavior Analyst: Terace Genest
Special Educator Hanaford: Erin Bilodeau
Special Educator Eldredge: Rebecca Levine
Special Educator Cole: Patricia Ouimette
Special Educator Cole: Lori Patnaude
Special Educator EGHS: TBD
School Nurse EGHS: Andrea Ridlon-Jarmie

From The Rhode Island Department of Education:

RIDE website for Information on Special Education HERE.
IDEA Eligibility EXTENDED to age 22 HERE
New Regulations Governing Students with Disabilities HERE
New Procedural Safeguards HERE.

Summer 2019 PD for Principals: Practical Applications of Special Education

Highlights:

Dr. Adam Moore, Professor of Special Education Roger Williams University
Attorney David Kane, Sargent Center
Presentation on the BCBA process and procedure, vision for Student Services, applications for building connections with students and the school community, and social-emotional learning.

Safety Care Train the Trainers:

This summer five individuals attended Safety Care Train the Trainers at QBS inc.! We have been busily planning training throughout the district to build capacity across all schools.

On-going Professional Development Through Student Services

This year we will be building professional learning communities focused around the High-Leverage Practices in Special Education! We are excited to work together to analyze our teaching and student learning in regard to the high-leverage practices that the Council for Exceptional Children have developed. Our first practice is collaboration. More to follow.

Resources:

Resources from LD Online HERE.
Resources from Hearing Loss of America HERE.
Project Ideal on Other Health Impairments HERE.
Resources from Autism Speaks HERE.
National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education HERE.
Check out RI's initiative in person-centered thinking and other great stuff from the Sherlock Center HERE.

Announcing Our Partnership with Salve Regina University

The Office of Student Services is partnering with Salve University to support two Behavior Analysts who will intern in our district. This partnership is set to begin in January 2020 and will allow for additional expertise and professional growth to take place across our district. The East Greenwich Public Schools will be the first district to develop a program such as this and we look forward to sharing all of the upcoming developments of this essential partnership!

About the MA program at Salve University:

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a scientifically valid, systematic approach to behavior change that examines the variables that reliably influence socially important behaviors. Best known as a treatment for children with autism, applied behavior analysis represents one of the fastest-growing professional areas in psychology.

Salve Regina University’s 36-credit master’s degree program in ABA incorporates the six master’s level courses and practicum experience required by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to qualify to sit for the national certification exam. The credential resulting is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

Coursework such as ethics and professional conduct, measurement and data analysis, behavior change techniques, assessment and systems management prepares students for the national certification exam. Students complete internships in various settings to work toward qualifications as a BCBA.

Resources on Dyslexia from RIDE

Resources from the Int'l Dyslexia Organization

Safety Care De-escalation Curriculum

Safety-Care™ is a different kind of crisis prevention and crisis management program. Instead of focusing on redirection, limit setting, and other power struggle tactics, Safety-Care takes a completely different approach - to teach or train an alternative way to achieve the same outcome.

The Safety-Care core curriculum is presented in the least to most restrictive format designed to provide staff with skills for prevention, minimization, and management of dangerous or challenging behaviors. Each chapter provides practical, functional skills for use in just about any educational, human services, or medical setting

This training incorporates some of the best, evidence-based, reinforcement behavior change strategies available. The focus is on learning not just how to prevent behavioral challenges, or manage them if necessary, but to change behavior!

One of the first competencies, staff will learn is how to Differentially Reinforce other, more acceptable behaviors. Throughout Safety-Care training, staff learns numerous behavior change strategies including Differential Reinforcement, Behavioral Momentum, Shaping, and others.