pages: CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2018-11-28.pdf, 10
This data as json
body | date | page | text | path |
---|---|---|---|---|
CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities | 2018-11-28 | 10 | ITEM 2-A COMMISSION ON DISABILITY MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 6:30 PM Victoria Forester: Right. So, if we do a better job of teaching all students then we will qualify less students for IEPs. And so that qualification goal is not about not giving kids what they need, it's about giving kids what they need at an earlier or lower level. I'm a firm believer in early intervention. We have very strong preschool programs that give kids what they need from a very. From three years old. The law says that we must find every child in our school district who may have a disability. And so we begin working with kids as early as two and a half. Leslie Morrison: So, you had also mentioned a couple of measures on the dashboard where Alameda has opportunities for improvement. One is discipline and expulsion. Kids with disabilities have a higher rate and Victoria Forester: It's suspension. Not quite expulsion. Leslie Morrison: So are some of those also measures that you're looking at, that you're looking to improve? Victoria Forester: Absolutely. We have a full integrated plan with the county of Alameda around disproportionality particularly looking at the discipline of students with disabilities, and even one layer deeper African-American students with disabilities. And so that plan with the county really feathers into our strategic plan to improve across the board. Leslie Morrison: And when you talked about lowering the number of kids on IEPs, where do 504 plans come in? Victoria Forester: Section 504 is for general ed students with a handicapping condition. So as a school principal, I once wrote a 504 plan for a kid that broke his right arm during testing time. You'd have to bubble in, and he couldn't do that. So we wrote a short-term 504 plan for that. Many kids have 504 plans for health issues, for ADHD oftentimes. And it still comes under the umbrella of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It's not directly related to my department. Jody is in charge of 504s but certainly, as I stand here and say every kid is a General Ed kid first, many kids with 504s eventually become kids with IEPs. But 504 plans are often seen as lesser than. That is just not true. It's all under the same legislation. It's all under the same law. And so a powerful 504 is powerful if you put it into place. And that goes to fidelity. Leslie Morrison: It's certainly my experience that oftentimes kids start off with 504s and then graduate to IEPs. So I was wondering if you have some targets around 504s like you do with IEPs. Victoria Forester: Again, just giving kids what they need within the 504. From my own personal experience, my son holds a Section 504 Plan. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder, super bright kid. And he was fine through middle school and in high school, and I'm a 504 lady. I'd have to bring the 504 plan pretty much to every one of his teachers, and really advocate for him because he wasn't able to advocate for himself yet. And that is where we need to get better so that everyone understands what kids need, and how to give kids what they need. And then he doesn't need to have an IEP if his 504 plan is put into place. Does it help? 03/13/19 Page 10 of 32 | CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2018-11-28.pdf |