Provided by Portland Public Schools October 2009 INTRODUCTION Portland Public Schools Special Education Classrooms REPORT OUTLINE FOR ADA COMPONENT Brief description of the big picture - the role of SPED within the public school system in Portland. Classroom Information: a) Brief description of program. b) Particulars of each type of classroom: typical number of students and staff, equipment and furnishings, peripheral needs and requirements, e.g., access, bus parking. c) Design considerations for these classrooms. d) List a model classroom to visit and the least conducive classroom to visit SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOMS Social-Emotional Communication-Behavior Life Skills Life Skills Nursing OTHER CLASSROOMS (NOT SELF-CONTAINED) Developmental Primary Learning Center SPECIAL SCHOOL CLASSROOMS Day Treatment Social-Emotional Fragile B 1
SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOMS: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL CLASSROOM The Social-Emotional Behavior (B) Classroom is a self-contained learning setting for students who need intensive supports and specially designed instruction to meet their behavioral and academic needs. Most students in these classrooms exhibit one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child s educational performance - (A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. (B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. (C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. (D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. (E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems." [Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Section 300.7(c)(4)(i)] Students placed in these district programs usually exhibit externalizing or internalizing behaviors and they are grouped accordingly in Social-Emotional (B) Classrooms. The term fragile is used to delineate students with internalizing behaviors. B Classrooms serving this population of students usually require additional mental health supports. Every student has access to the general education curriculum. In addition, students in Social-Emotional Classrooms also receive social skills instruction to address their behavioral needs. Typical number of students and staff: Grades K - 5: 1 Teacher, 2 Para-educators, 1 Mental Health Specialist*, 12 students Grades 6-8: 1 Teacher, 1 Para-educator, 1 Mental Health Specialist*, 12 students Grades 9-12: 1 Teacher, 1 Para-educator, 1 Mental Health Specialist*, 15 students * Denotes part-time: varies according student needs Equipment, furnishings, peripheral needs and requirements: A standard classroom is typically used as the educational setting for students placed in a self-contained B class. However, the classroom is usually divided into several areas to meet the individual instructional and emotional needs of the students. The classrooms usually include the following: Large group instruction area: individual desks or age appropriate tables and chairs, teacher presentation table/desk, a large whiteboard and/or projection screen to be used with an overhead projector, document camera, or other multi-media devices. Small group instruction area: kidney shaped or like-sized table with chairs and whiteboard. Calming/relaxation area: bean bags or other comfortable seating, storage for games or other calming activities. Typically this area also includes a small classroom library. 2
Student computer area: most classrooms have a minimum of two student computers. These are usually placed in a low traffic area of the classroom on age appropriate computer desks/tables (sometimes on rolling carts). De-escalation area: students with social/emotional needs require a safe, secure and more private area in the classroom when they exhibit excessive behaviors. Secured dividers are typical used to create this area in a classroom. Design considerations: Social-Emotional Classroom design should take into consideration that ideally these classrooms should be located in close proximity to the school office and restrooms. These classrooms should not be segregated or isolated from general education areas in the school. There should be several areas in the room for students to display their work and/or for teachers to display support materials referring to classroom management and academic instruction. The classrooms should have lighting that does not distract from the learning process and also have ventilation that is optimum for learning acquisition. 3
SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOMS CONTINUED: COMMUNICATION-BEHAVIOR CLASSROOM The Communication Behavior Classroom (CB) make-up: 12 students 4 para Educators 1 Licensed Staff Additional Support from, which may include according to student need, Speech Path, OT, PT, School Psych, APE, Assistive Technology Specialist, Nurse and Feeding team. Currently we have CB classrooms serving students Kinder to 2 nd grade and 3 rd grade through 5 th. Communication Behavior Methodology: There are two types of Communication Behavior Classrooms, the functional strand and the academic ready strand. The focus of the classroom according to strand addresses the educational needs including the cognitive capabilities of eh students in a particular classroom, for example: Functional CB: Students may be working on supplemental curriculum, pre-academics, behavior, social skills, cooperative play and language based objectives. Academic CB: Students have access to instruction of the adopted core curriculum in addition to supplemental curriculum in social, behavioral, cooperative play and language based objectives. Physical Design considerations fro CB classrooms Being able to support students in the CB room may require the following: 1. Classrooms that can maintain a temperate environment, so if the class faces West with a bank of windows, a heat/light screen would be beneficial. 2. Fluorescent light covers that diffuse light would be an asset. 3. In-classroom secure de-escalation space. 4. In-classroom bathroom and running water. 5. Individual study carols. 6. Kidney shaped table(s) for group. 7. Student chill out space. 4
SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOMS CONTINUED: LIFE SKILLS CLASSROOM The Life Skills Classroom (LS) is a self-contained classroom which provides specially designed instruction in the areas of functional academics, social skills, daily & independent living, and vocation/career education skills. Students have moderate to severe learning needs. These students may have learning characteristics that can inhibit their acquisition of essential skills such as: 1. Ability to acquire fewer skills than peers. 2. Difficulty acquiring or not able to acquire complex skills. 3. Need a greater number of experiences to teach the same skill. 4. Will not retain skill unless provided opportunity to practice skill in a variety of settings. 5. Difficulty transferring skill from one setting to another. 6. Difficulty utilizing skill in isolation (ex. Motor, social, communication). Every student has access to the general education curriculum and it is utilized to the greatest extent possible, as appropriate, to meet the student needs. These classrooms serve students in kindergarten through 12 th grades. Typical number of students and staff: 1 Teacher, 3 Para-educators, 12 students. Design considerations: A Life Skills classroom design includes a large open classroom space, ideally with a sink and windows. There might be round tables/kidney tables where students can do small group collaborative work as well as individual student desks. There might be a portioned area where students can take a quiet break or work in a quiet area, or use a computer. Other considerations include a dry erase board and bulletin boards. Students in a Life Skills classroom may have additional physical equipment such as wheel chairs, walkers, and standers. There needs to be ample room to store this larger size of equipment so that it does not interfere with student accessibility for safety reasons. Finally, students need to have a close exiting access to outside the building in case of emergencies. 5
SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOMS CONTINUED: LIFE SKILLS with Nursing CLASSROOM BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM: The Life Skills with Nursing Classroom (LSN) is a self-contained classroom (K-21 years of age) which provides specially designed instruction for students who typically use wheelchairs or other equipment for movement, breathing and eating. Many of the students live in a hospital setting. Instruction is in the areas of nonverbal/functional communication, social skills, daily living activities, and long term planning for adult life. Students have severe learning and medical/nursing needs. These students may have learning characteristics that can inhibit their acquisition of essential skills: 7. Ability to communicate, hear or visually interact with others. 8. Difficulty acquiring basic activities of daily living skills. 9. Ongoing assessments needed to assess ability to interact or increase in medical services. 10. Will not retain skills unless provided an opportunity to practice skills repeatedly. 11. Difficulty transferring skill from one setting to another. PARTICULARS OF CLASSROOM TYPE: a. 1 Teacher b. 4 Para-educators c. 1 to 2 Nurses/LPNs (sometimes more) d. 8 students. e. Itinerant staff includes Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Augmentative Communication specialists and other Regional Program (CROS) staff members. CURRENT LOCATIONS: Lewis Elementary K-5 Humbolt PreK-8: students are in grades 6,7, & 8 Hosford Middle School 6,7, & 8 Franklin High School CTCC Programs: after High School Program. Locations are RHS, Green Thumb, Jefferson HS, Green Thumb DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: A Life Skills with nursing classroom design needs to include: a large open classroom space a large restroom with mobile changer/changing table that raises and lowers and has the room for a Hoyer Lift. 2 side by side sinks (OSHA regs) for dealing with bodily fluids and sanitary/dirty items 2 Refrigerators for medications and food Large storage area for storage of equipment when not in use by students. Students in a Life Skills with Nursing classroom may have additional physical equipment such as wheel chairs, walkers, and standers. There needs to be ample room to store this larger size of equipment so that it does not interfere with student accessibility for safety reasons Room close to exit for quick evacuation and loading and unloading of students from buses Covered area for unloading buses Phones for direct access to outside communication Partitioned areas for individual student medical procedures Elevator access for mainstreaming in a two story building 6
Electrical outlets around the room for medical equipment and technology to support communication Self controlling heating and cooling Adjustable lighting Ceiling supports for hanging equipment and hanging curtain dividers Extra sound proofing RECOMMENDATION: Do an architectural review of the square footage needs for an adult sized wheelchair or gurney 7
OTHER CLASSROOMS (NOT SELF-CONTAINED): DEVELOPMENTAL PRIMARY CLASSROOM (DP) Age Range Serviced: o Children k-2 nd grade Purpose of class: o Prepare students for a general education setting Type of Students Served in Developmental Primary Classroom: o Students are able to grasps grade level curriculum concepts, but need small group instruction o Students need instruction to learn school skills: Following directions Attending to academic tasks in small and larger group instruction Following school routine o Students may have receptive and expressive communication delays that are impacting their ability to participate in a general education class o The primary curriculum for this classroom is the District adopted core curriculum This classroom is not a replacement for a Life Skills, Behavior or Communication/ Behavior classrooms. If behavior and/or mental health are the primary concern, the IEP team should consider a Behavior classroom room placement. 8
OTHER CLASSROOMS (NOT SELF-CONTAINED) CONTINUED: LEARNING CENTER a) Brief description of program. Classroom designed to service students who need assistance with reading, math, writing and social/emotional. These students access general education over 80% of the school day. These classrooms need to be ada accessible for both age and mobility, as well be centrally located b) Particulars of each type of classroom: typical number of students is 30; 1 teacher and 1 para for support in general education. c) Design considerations for these classrooms include book shelves, small work spaces, tables and chairs in a variety of sizes, places for student and teacher computers; white boards; space conductive for 2 groups of 6-8 going at once d) Model classroom to visit would be Pennisula and the least conducive classroom to visit is Astor and Sunnyside or Hollyrood 9
SPECIAL SCHOOL CLASSROOMS: PIONEER DAY TREATMENT Pioneer Day Treatment Classrooms a) Brief description of program. b) Particulars of each type of classroom: typical number of students and staff, equipment and furnishings, peripheral needs and requirements, e.g., access, bus parking. c) Design considerations for these classrooms. A) The Pioneer Day Treatment Program currently has two elementary, one middle school, and two high school day treatment classrooms. Each classroom serves up to 12 students and is staffed by a therapist, teacher, and at least two para educators. The middle school and high school classrooms are currently housed within the Holladay Annex while both elementary classrooms are housed within the Holladay Center. Each classroom has access to psychiatric support. A psychiatrist meets with the student care team on a weekly basis to assess each student s treatment needs. Parent/Guardians are active participants within these classrooms and frequently meet with the classroom therapists throughout the year. The Day Treatment Program uses clinically proven methods to working with students with severe emotional disorders in a therapeutic environment. Education and treatment services are integrated in all phases of assessment, treatment planning, IEP development and implementation. B) The elementary classrooms should serve a capacity of 8 students, the middle school classroom should serve 10 students, and the high school classrooms should have a capacity of 12 students. Each day treatment classroom has a teacher, therapist, two para educators and a 4-hour weekly psychiatric consult. Within its current framework, each classroom is supported by a Therapeutic Intervention Coach, who responds to students behavioral needs both proactively as well as in response to escalated behaviors. The classroom s furnishings presents as rather traditional, however, both lighting and acoustics should address the challenges of serving students with significant sensory needs. C) When addressing design considerations, the day treatment classroom will need to have an office space for the therapist, who will need to provide family and students services throughout the school day. In addition, the classroom will also need to provide a soft space for those students who require time and space away from their classroom peers to both de-escalate and decompress. Finally, the day treatment classrooms should have a smaller self-contained and visually separated room/space for breakout groups throughout the school day. This space will typically need to accommodate 3-5 students and a staff member. 10
Excerpt from PPS Special Education web-site: Note this does not correspond exactly with our list. GENERAL EDUCATION WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORT General Education with Special Education Support is a push-in service model for the delivery of specially designed instruction. Special education instruction and practice are provided to the student in the general education classroom. LEARNING CENTER (LC) The Learning Center (LC) is a classroom which provides specially designed instruction and necessary related services in all developmentally appropriate academic areas through the modification of the general education curriculum. Students may receive all academic instruction in the LC or participate for one or more subject areas or time periods, as determined by their individual education program (IEP), in an age-appropriate regular education classroom. Participation in the regular education classroom is determined through the IEP process and based on the ability of the student to derive educational benefit from that classroom. LC curriculum is the regular education curriculum with modifications necessary to meet the IEP goals of the student. LC classrooms support students at all schools throughout the District. LIFE SKILLS CLASSROOM The Life Skills Classroom (LS) is a self-contained classroom which provides specially designed instruction and related services in functional life skills, fundamental academic skills (reading, writing, and math) and prevocational skills. Though students generally receive the majority of their instruction in the LS classroom, they may participate in the regular education classroom as determined by the IEP team. LS classrooms support students at the elementary, middle and high school level in various schools across the District. COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOR CLASSROOM The Communication Behavior Classroom Kindergarten and Primary are classrooms configured to provide one-to-one individualized and small group instruction, including discrete trial, pivotal response training, and functional routines, as detected by the student s IEP. Students in these classrooms receive direct instruction from special education teachers and trained instructional assistants, who are supervised by certified staff and who have received training and have demonstrated expertise in programming for students with Autism. The curriculum is based on the IEPs of students which emphasize the development of language, social, play and behavior skills. SOCIAL EMOTIONAL CLASSROOM The Social Emotional Classroom is a self-contained classroom which provides specially designed instruction and necessary related services in emotional development, behavior management, and social skills. Counseling service is available as well as classroom consultation with the school psychologist and mental health counselors. Students may receive all academic instruction in the self-contained setting, or participate for one or more specified subject areas or time periods in the age-appropriate regular education classroom. Participation in the regular education classroom is determined by the IEP and based on the student s documented ability to maintain emotional/behavioral/social integration in the Social Emotional Classroom. The Social Emotional Classroom is intended to support students who are eligible for special education and have demonstrated an inability to succeed (with supplementary aids and services) in the regular education classroom. Curriculum in the Social Emotional Classroom is the regular education curriculum at the student s grade level with adaptations as required by the IEP. Social 11
Emotional Classrooms support students at various sites and grade levels in the district. TRANSPORTATION Transportation is provided to special education students who: 1 are placed by Special Education in a classroom not in their neighborhood school; 2 have mobility addressed on their IEP; 3 have community safety addressed on their IEP; or, 4 with approval from a Special Education Administrator in other circumstances. Transportation must be listed in the Related Services section on the cover sheet of the student s IEP. 08/05/09 JMc 12