School Support System Report and Support Plan for
the
Jamestown Public Schools
January 20-26, 2004
The purpose of the School Support System (SSS) is
to provide a means of accountability for delivery of programs and services for
students with disabilities. The School
Support System model is designed to promote the involvement of the whole school
district, regular educators as well as special educators and parents. It is designed to learn of the district
meets the minimum regulations and what effects the program and services have on
student performance. Finally, the SSS
develops a school support plan for training and technical assistance.
To accomplish
this the SSS includes these components:
1.
School Improvement
2.
School Climate
3.
Teaching Practices
4.
Free Appropriate Public
Education (FAPE) in the
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
5.
Teacher Support Team
(TST)
6.
Evaluation/Individual
Education Program (IEP)
7.
Transition
8.
Parent Involvement
9.
Professional
Development
10.
Facilities
School Support System Review
January 20-26, 2004
Team A:
Anne Landry, RI Technical Assistance Project, Susan Wood, RI Department
of Education
Trish McGrath, Newport Pubic Schools
Team
B: Jane Keane, West Bay Collaborative,
Laura Jones, Parent Support Network of Rhode Island, Robert Vincze, North
Kingstown Public Schools,
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1. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT |
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Indicator |
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Findings |
Documentation |
Support Plan |
Follow-up
Findings |
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Performance |
1 |
The Jamestown School Department serves a total school age population
of 941 (public and private). There
are 545 students in the K-8 program between the Melrose Avenue School and the
Lawn Avenue School. All student must go “off island” for their high school
experience. The Jamestown school district is high performing and sustaining
schools. There are currently 131
students receiving special education services. Jamestown School Department’s Strategic Plan was developed by various
contingencies representing community leaders, families of students and school
department personnel. The district mission statement embedded in the strategic plan, dated
November 2003, seeks to partner with the community to provide a safe,
nurturing learning environment in which each child is challenged to fulfill
his/her unique potential. The district has established core values and
beliefs that support their mission to address safety, responsibility,
resourcefulness, respect and fiscal responsibility. Jamestown is in the first year of their five-year plan and is
currently developing action steps to facilitate the process. Their vision for this plan will address instructional practices to
meet each child’s individual needs, expanded learning opportunities,
enhancing opportunities for community participation and ownership, improving
the physical environment that supports health and learning, maintaining a position of excellence within the community, creating opportunities
for intentional, holistic student social development, participating in
proactive legislative agendas, and systematic K-12 articulation that meets
the current high standards of the district overall. |
Document Review Presentation Interviews |
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2 |
Prior to the 2002-2003 school year, Melrose Avenue School and Lawn
Avenue School had one School Improvement Team (SIT). This is the second year each school has a
separate team. Melrose Avenue School’s SIT is active and functioning. Parents
and the Special Education Director are active participants on the SIT and the
Local Advisory Council has representation on the SIT. The primary goals are:
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Interviews District Presentation Document Review Review |
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Performance |
3 |
The Lawn Avenue School is in its second year with a separate School
Improvement Team (SITs). During this
transition time the school has followed the 2002 school improvement
plan. As the district revised their
strategic plan, the Lawn Avenue School awaited the completion of their
process to facilitate their own School Improvement Plan. The Lawn Avenue
School is currently realigning their school improvement plan with the
district Strategic Plan. They have
established their school Mission Statement and Goals. Their primary goals are:
The School Improvement Team meets monthly and is comprised of school
administrators, general educators, parents and community members. |
Interviews District Presentation Document Review |
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Performance |
4 |
The superintendent of schools also serves as the principal of the
Lawn Avenue School. The district is in the process of restructuring to
include a Dean of Students. (see also
Section 4 FAPE/LRE) |
Document Review Interviews |
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2. SCHOOL CLIMATE |
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Indicator |
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Findings |
Documentation |
Support Plan |
Follow-up
Findings |
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Performance |
1 |
Staff, administrators and parents spoke about feeling supported by
and having access to the Special Education Director, Principal and
Superintendent (see also Section 8: Parent Involvement) |
Observation Interviews District Presentation Document Review |
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Performance |
2 |
There is a strong sense of collegiality and collaboration among
faculty throughout the district. |
Observation Interviews |
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Performance |
3 |
The district’s mentoring program is active and functioning. Whenever possible, they are matched with
mentors in their respective schools.
There is a group meeting quarterly.
Mentors meet with their mentor twice a month for the first 12 months
then once a month for the remaining six months. Both mentors and mentees reported the mentoring experience to
be a positive and productive one. |
Interviews Document Review |
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4 |
Jamestown has a comprehensive Pupil Services Manual that is provided
to all special education teachers and administrators. A copy is also in the library and all
conference rooms. It states the
overall goal of special education services in Jamestown as the following: “To implement researched based practices regarding effective teaching
practices, service delivery models, and evaluation that improve educational
performance and enhance life long outcomes.” |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
5 |
The Jamestown School Information Guide is a comprehensive publication
for students and their families that details student expectations and
governing district policies. |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
6 |
The Jamestown School District has an established Crisis Response Plan. For individual student crisis response,
Jamestown Schools has a support team comprised of administrators,
Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, the school psychologist, social
worker, planning center coordinator and school nurse who thoughtfully and
collaborative plan for student and family interventions and support. |
Interview |
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Performance |
7 |
The school psychologist and the school social worker provide a
variety of positive behavioral supports to students throughout the two
schools as well as the communities at large.
They provide professional development opportunities for families,
individual support for students, home visits, transition planning and
maintain relationships with community support services for comprehensive
student response. |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
8 |
Lawn Avenue School has a Student Assistant Counselor two days a
week. The Student Assistant Counselor
is currently reviewing ways that group activities can be facilitated for 7th
graders revolving around issues of substance abuse and problem solving. The role of the Student Assistant
Counselor at the Lawn Avenue School is to provide support and referral
opportunities for students and their families addressing substance abuse related
issues and prevention opportunities.
Additionally, the Student Assistant Counselor facilitated
presentations in the 7th and 8th grade on Normal
Adolescent Development with student follow-up discussions. |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
9 |
Crossing the Bridge at the Lawn Avenue School is an instructional
program taught within the 8th grade Health/Physical Education
curriculum. The curriculum is
co-taught by the Jamestown Police Department and the Physical Education
Department addressing three core areas:
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Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
10 |
The Jamestown School District has established community linkages with
Newport County and South Shore Community Mental Health Center, North
Kingstown School Department, Early Intervention agencies, Valley Community School,
Bradley School, Briggs School, Sargent Center, SORICO, RIDE, RITAP, Jamestown
Early Learning Center, South County Montessori, Maher Center, Rogers High
School, Newport Area Career and Technical Center, The Compass School, Quest
Montessori School, Meadowbrook Waldorf School, RI School for the Deaf and the
URI Hearing Center |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
11 |
Students at the Lawn Avenue School engage in a variety of civic and
community activities. Students
recently participated in fund raising project for the American Heart
Association. Additionally, as part of
the 8th grade social studies curriculum, students investigate
specific social justice issues and create potential solutions and/or
strategies that impact positive change.
Through this process, students identified a need for a teen center in
Jamestown and are currently involved in planning for the Center. |
Document Review Interview |
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3. TEACHING PRACTICES |
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Indicator |
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Findings |
Documentation |
Support Plan |
Follow-up
Findings |
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Performance |
1 |
For the past several years, Jamestown has engaged in standards based
instruction. All classes are
heterogeneously grouped with teachers engaging in differentiated
practices. Teachers utilize
professional development meetings to examine student assessment data to
inform their instructional practices.
Research based techniques and programs are implemented and utilized
with carry over throughout all grade levels. |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
2 |
Jamestown Public Schools have a comprehensive website that students,
parents and the community can access to find out a plethora of information on
the district and grade levels, technology, parent engagement opportunities,
Local Advisory Council, etc. |
Interviews District Presentation Website Review |
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Performance |
3 |
The district has engaged in standards based instructional practices
and assessment for over the past five years.
Evident practices throughout the schools included facilitated
instruction, student problem solving, posting of student work, rubrics and
standards. Students were engaged in
multiple learning strategies and reported the process to be “fun”. The Jamestown faculty engages in a variety
of assessment strategies to inform instructional practices. During grade level planning periods and
through professional development teams faculty review and assess student work
individually and collectively, they review the correlation of common
assessments and classroom feedback and engage in research to differentiate
instruction to meet individual students learning needs and styles. Student portfolios have been initiated at
both schools this year. |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
4 |
The district has had standards-based report cards for several
years. Art, music, library, physical
education/health standards and competencies are detailed in an attached
addendum to the report card. |
Interviews Document Review Review |
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Performance |
5 |
The Technology Department provides the district the ability to
explore promising practices, manage and collect data, assist classroom
instruction as well as overall maintenance and installation. Throughout the district there is evidence
of instruction supported by technology through the use of computers, network
servers, digital cameras, the Seelinger Computer Lab, the Epson Computer
Project and the use of assistive technology with tools like the Alpha Smart
and the IntelliTools, IntelliTools Keyboard.
Additionally, the district web page is a comprehensive, current
picture of the overall school activities, instructional practices and current
events. At both schools students were engaged in technology supported
instruction through the use of computer labs with laptops available for
students to use, mobile computer carts that bring laptops to classrooms on an
as needed basis as well as the library and individual classrooms having a
good number of computers.
Additionally assistive technology was evident throughout all classes
and students appeared to be very comfortable with a wide array of devices. |
Document Review Interview Observation |
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Performance |
6 |
The Special Education Director meets with the special education
faculty of both schools as well as individually to address special education
reform initiatives, district service provision, and individual faculty and
student planning. |
Interview |
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Performance |
7 |
The district Speech and Language Pathologist provides student
centered comprehensive therapeutic services and supports in collaboration
with educators to address the individual needs of students with
exceptionalities. Therapeutic
instruction and support are provided through curriculum focused small group
in class/pull-out activities, which are literacy-based and often include
students’ peers. Folders are
maintained for each student receiving speech language services and supports,
which include student work, observations, student activities and progress
reports. The Speech Language
Pathologist works closely with families through notes to and from home,
communication book noting the objective of the days therapy activities,
weekly homework as well as a speech language web page. |
Document Review Interview |
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Performance |
8 |
The occupational therapist has a sensory integration room at the
Melrose Avenue School that she utilizes with all students. The occupational therapist is currently
doing a handwriting program with students in the 2nd and 3rd
grade co-taught classes this year and the 1st grade last
year. A sensory-based program is
utilized in the 4th grade co-teaching room for all students. In
addition, she also serves students at the Lawn Avenue School |
Interviews Observation |
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Performance |
9 |
At the Melrose Avenue School the music curriculum is performance
based thus each student is on-stage at least once per year. It is teacher/grade driven. For example: one grade may do an
international theme, another may do a retrospective of their grade’s year. The art curriculum is also performance based. Each student showcases at least three
pieces of art that is exhibited in a culminating art show in late
spring. The art curriculum works in
conjunction with the general education curriculum and needs. |
Interviews Observation |
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