SEPAC MEETING MINUTES – 12/18/13

Attendees:
Shannon Hume, Leah Nabstedt,Jeffrey Rubin, Barbara Tennison and Kristen Zechello

Minutes from the November 19, 2013 meeting were reviewed and are awaiting approval for submission to the School Committee.

SEPAC Board meetings

  • The SEPAC monthly Board meeting was cancelled for December 10, 2013and the next one is scheduled for January 21, 2014
  • We continue to reach out to ask for more parentinvolvement.

New

January 16, 2014 SEPAC Workshop – Behavioral Challenges

  • RCS Behavioral Consultants are coming to speak regarding challenging behavior and how parents and professionals can implement interventions to turn maladaptive behaviors into adaptive behaviors.

Social Skill Based Summer Program for Middle School Students

  • Parents approached the district regarding middle-school aged students with social needs that no longer have summer programming after the 6th grade to develop summer programming. These students’ needs continue and still need to be addressed in middle school and beyond.
  • Mr. Rubin has agreed to work with the parents to try to possibly integrate Braintree Parks and Recreation summer programsand the Norfolk County Leadership program for inclusion opportunities.
  • Patrick Kwedor will run the program.

12 iPads designated for Hollis Language Based Program

  • Last year, SEPAC was told about a monetary grant from a local doctor who had left a substantial amount of money to Braintree Public Schools for technology.
  • The Hollis Language Based program had been allotted 12 iPads and several parents have approached SEPAC asking what happened because these iPad have not been given to the LB teachers.
  • Mr. Rubin spoke with Dr. Murray about this issue and she informed him that Dr. Kurzburg had spearheaded all of the grant funds. Mrs. Hume will follow up on this issue.

Subcommittee Updates/Goals for the school year 2013-2014:

  • MCAS (Eileen Donohue/Mimi Pugsley-Co-Chairs)
  • No update was provided at this meeting.
  • Anti-Bullying (Chair needed)
  • SEPAC was approached by a parent who may take on the chair role for this subcommittee, Mrs. Zechello and Mrs. Brouillard are trying to connect with this parent.
  • Diversity (Suzanne Brouillard – Chair)
  • Mrs. Brouillard is hoping to have some of our brochures translated for the January mailing. Resources (both parents and professionals) are being identified to assist with this initiative.
  • Mrs. Brouillard will coordinate with Rebecca Fredericks, Director of English, regarding SEPAC outreach at ELL open house nights (also see under Community Outreach update).
  • Documentation in the top three languages uses by Braintree Special Education ELL students will be available for parents at this open house (i.e. SEPAC welcome letters, brochures, etc.)
  • Community Inclusion Awards (Kristen Zechello-Chair)
  • Mrs. Zechello shared that the Braintree High School Awards night may be in conflict with the Inclusion Awards scheduled for May 20, 2014. She will follow up and report back to the group. Mrs. Hume will also follow up and let the group know.
  • Community Outreach (Kristen Zechello-Chair)
  • Reviewed the outreach initiatives currently underway
  • SEPAC Brochures will be sent out again in January.
  • Social Skills Curriculum (Michelle Owens/Leah Nabstedt – Co-Chairs)
  • Tracy Stoll is currently working with several specific students and working with the COAST Program students regularly.
  • Transition (Leah Nabstedt/Barbara Bonigli Co-Chairs)
  • Mr. Rubin met with the Professional Learning Community last week. A lot of work has been done by the team on creating student levels and tiers for the transitional assessment process. Mr. Rubin described the levels of students to the group.
  • The transition planning process is started in 8th grade (age 14) and goes through graduation or completion depending on the student (up to age 22).
  • Some of the IEP goals should be driven by the “Post-Secondary Vision” in the Transition plan.
  • The district has ordered some assessment tools and materials for more formalized assessment when it’s needed and perhaps outside agencies and evaluators (i.e. Easter Seals, MASS Rehab, etc.) would participate in the process for more complex student needs.
  • Many different things are used to form an assessment of a student for transition planning.
  • Observations
  • MCAS scores
  • Parent, student, staff surveys and questionnaires
  • There has been a “handbook” developed to guide TEAMs in this process. This guide will help provide a “roadmap” to help guide the TEAMs in this process. IEP contact personslisted should be the point people in this process. Mr. Rubin will provide SEPAC with a copy of the handbook when it is finalized.
  • Training for staff is part of how this transition guide will be rolled out. SEPAC also requested that there be a training/informational session for parents.
  • Student Special Education files will be expanded to include transition sections to create almost a portfolio of information to assist in this process.

Open

New National Standards Testing

  • Mitchell Chester, (Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) sent out a detailed letter to all Districts and stated that several cities and towns are going to pilot PARCC (The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career) for two years. Once the pilot is complete the state will reassess whether or not we will adopt this testing to replace MCAS. This item will remain on the agenda for future meetings to discuss updates as they arise.

Ongoing Space Concerns/School Building Committee Update

  • East Middle Schools’ funding has been approved for a $6 million dollar project for several upgrades to the building systems.
  • Several different options to address space needs continue to be discussed by the Committee and as updates become available.

SEPAC Facebook Page/Website

  • The Board will vote at the next meeting on January 21st, 2014 regarding the content and date to go “live” with the Facebook page.

Coordinated ProgramReview

  • Every six years there is a review done in the district for compliance with special education requirements. Susan Nicholls from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be arriving on January27th2014 for four days to work with Braintree to complete this review. The student files to be reviewed are already being prepared.
  • The DESE will meet and interview with SEPAC. Mr. Rubin will let the board know the date selected when it is scheduled.

Next meeting date and time

  • January 23, 2014

All meetings are held in the Special Services Department at Braintree High School at 11:45am.

Minutes prepared by:

  • Kristen Zechello