CATAWISSA RR - The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is recognizing educators at Southern Columbia Area School District for their efforts to return special education students to the district for instruction.
In a seven-page article by Susan Spadafore entitled "Bringing Students with IEPs (Individualized Education Program) Home: One District's Journey to Systems Change," Superintendent Charles Reh and Director of Special Education Robert Mehalick reflect on district officials' decision to improve the education of all students and explain the process of making the change.
Bill Murphy, PDE's Bureau of Special Education compliance chief, who worked with the district to accomplish their goals, praised Southern's leadership in keeping students in their "least restrictive environments" (LRE).
"Leading reform to meet the requirements of the LRE takes courage, commitment and continuity; and leading change to bring students with intensive needs back into the district takes great leadership. Southern Columbia has demonstrated just that," he is quoted in the article.
'Systematic reform'
Mehalick further explained in an interview why PDE recognized Southern's efforts.
"The district undertook the initiative in efforts to have systematic reform in the way we are educating our students with special needs. It was not due to a corrective action or citation that this movement began," he said.
Law dictates that students be taught in their least restrictive environments, which begins with the home school. The preferred practice is inclusion, which allows special education students to be included in the regular education classroom.
Southern officials took it upon themselves to improve both initiatives, Mehalick said.
"We voluntarily did this without being told. The right thing to do was bring the kids back," he said.
Southern Columbia is a district with 277 students (as of March 7) with physical, emotional, mental, social or learning disabilities, which is 19.8 percent of the total student population.
In 2006, when Reh was hired as superintendent, 35 students in the special education population were being educated outside the district, at Bloomsburg Area, Central Columbia, Berwick Area, Shamokin Area, Danville Area or Mount Carmel Area. He made it a goal to provide services in the students' home district.
"They're very good programs with very good supervisions," Mehalick said of the other districts, "but it still wasn't home."
Of the 35 students who were being taught outside the district, 33 students have successfully been returned to Southern Columbia schools.
"There will always be at least a few district students we won't be able to bring back," he said about those with extreme needs. "But no matter what's available, the law states you look at the home district, and you go from there."
The special education department has a operational budget (not including salaries and benefits) of between $36,000 and $40,000 a year. There are 14 full-time teachers, 29 paraprofessionals, a full-time psychologist and a full-time social worker. The department also has a working relationship with Bloomsburg University, which sends master level clinicians to deliver speech and language services.
Making room
One of the biggest limitations was the physical space, but the staff was creative by using areas not used as classrooms before; teachers even gave up their faculty room, he said.
"We looked at every single part of the district and asked how we could make it work. It's crowded, but we've made it work," he said.
The ongoing building project should provide the required space for students, he added.
An early step was to train all district employees who would have contact with the students, which included professionals, paraprofessionals, food service employees and transportation clerks.
Since 2008, many new programs have been added for special education students, including life skills and behavioral support.
The career exploration program, which was being held in a rented Numidia building but is now back at the school because the building was damaged in the Flood of 2011, is geared toward high school students with special education who will not be attending college.
"We have an obligation under the law to make sure those kids are ready for employment and they're ready to live independently as possible," Mehalick said.
The program, which is partnered with more than 20 businesses, teaches students how to prepare and apply for a position, interview strategies, skills needed to keep a job and other soft and hard skills needed in society.
Money for iPads
For three years in a row, Mehalick said the special education program has received a $50,000 grant from PDE for their initiative to increase inclusion. The money has been used to build a fully accessible playground to allow special education students to participate with the regular education students, to bring in special speakers and educators and to purchase 15 iPads to be used in the classroom.
The tablet computers can provide students with independence by allowing them to take notes without the need of an aid. There are audio programs that read to the students, as well communication, organizational and text-to-speech apps.
One teacher uses the camera function to take photographs of objects around the school for students to identify, or allow students themselves to go on scavenger hunts to find the objects themselves.
Teachers can control electronic whiteboards with the iPads, or sync their phones or student-owned devices to the school's to review homework.
"It's amazing what our kids can accomplish that was never possible for them," Mehalick said.
The district is only at the beginning stages of how the iPads will change the way students learn, he noted.
Changing of guard
Incidentally, Mehalick's last day with the district will be Friday, after which he will be the new director of special education for the Pennsbury School District in Bucks County.
"I was in a very special place and an unbelievable six years of my life has been spent here," he said of Southern.
Even though Mehalick will be leaving on a high note with PDE's praise of his department, he is still humble and credits the support of the school board and the community.
"Everybody realizes it's important and something we need to do. I was one small part of that, and I am tremendously appreciative to be a part of something like this," he said.
Even though there's always room for improvement, "the people of Southern really understand what it means to educate all students," he said.
His replacement is Jennifer Snyder, who has been employed with the district since 2003. She started out as a learning support teacher and is now in her third year as a behavioral specialist.
Mehalick is pleased to see Snyder, who takes over March 19, as his successor
"She is the best special educator teacher I've worked with in my career. She has the ability to flourish under pressure and she has built trust between the parents and teachers," he said.
Appreciative as parent
Snyder, of Bloomsburg, not only comes to the job with professional experience, but personal experience: her 4-year-old son, Luke Snyder, was born blind.
"Parents come to the school, and they're frustrated and angry right away, and I can see why. Getting him (Luke) into a pre-school was difficult. I know why parents come already bitter," she said.
She explained she will not be taking the special education program in a different direction, but will continue using the resources, grants and strategies Mehalick developed.
Both directors will also network with each other and share the ideas that benefit both districts.