District Developed Special Education Services Delivery Plan Centerville Community School District

What was the process used to develop the delivery system for eligible individuals?

The delivery system was developed in accordance with Iowa Administrative Code Rule
41.408(2)”c”. The group of individuals who developed the system included parents of eligible individuals, special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, and AEA representatives.

How will services be organized and provided to eligible individuals?

Centerville Community School District Continuum of Services: The district will provide access to the continuum of services for all eligible individuals as defined below based on their IEP. The continuum includes services for eligible individuals ages 3-21. Services may be provided within the district, or through contractual agreement with other districts and/or agencies. Students may receive different services at multiple points along the continuum based on the IEP.
Consulting Teacher Services: Consulting Teacher services are defined as indirect services provided by a certified special education teacher to a general education teacher in adjusting the learning environment and/or modifying his/her instructional methods using specially designed instruction strategies to meet the individual needs of a student with a disability receiving instruction in the general education classroom or regular early childhood program.
Co-Teaching Services: Co-teaching services are defined as the provision of specially designed instruction and academic instruction provided to a group of students with disabilities and nondisabled students. These services are provided by the special education teacher and general education teacher in partnership to meet the content and skills needs of students in the general education classroom or regular early childhood program. These services take shape in a variety of manners. For example, teachers co-plan, divide the class, and provide the instruction to smaller groups, or teachers co-plan and then co-instruct different components of the content. The effectiveness of services provided through co-teaching have a strong research base.
Collaborative Services: Collaborative services are defined as direct specially designed instruction provided to an individual student with a disability or to a group of students with disabilities by a certified special education teacher in a general education classroom or regular early childhood program to aid the student(s) in accessing the general education curriculum. These services are provided simultaneously with the general education content area instruction.
Pull-Out Services: Pull-Out services are defined as direct specially designed instruction provided to an individual student with a disability or a group of students with disabilities by a certified special education teacher to provide supplementary instruction that cannot otherwise be provided during the student’s regular instruction time. These services are provided in an individual or small group setting for a portion of the day. Pull-out services supplement the instruction provided in the general education classroom or regular early childhood program through Consulting Teacher services or Collaborative/Co-teaching services. The specially designed instruction provided in Pull-out settings does not supplant the instruction provided in the general education classroom or regular early childhood program.

Special Class or Early Childhood Special Education Program: Special Class or Early Childhood Special Education Program services are defined as direct specially designed instruction provided to an individual student with a disability or a group of students with disabilities by a certified special education teacher/early childhood special education teacher to provide instruction which is tied to the general education curriculum, but has been modified to meet the unique needs of the student(s) in a self contained setting (including, but not limited to special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions). This means the student is receiving his or her primary instruction separate from non-disabled peers. In such cases, a ‘reverse consultation’ model will be used, which allows for delivery of instruction in a setting separate from non-disabled peers by the special education teacher, with the core content teacher providing consultative services. The special education teacher and core content endorsed teacher will have regular and frequent consultation, so both of those classrooms reflect the same standards and comparable curriculum.

How will caseloads of special education teachers be determined and regularly monitored?

Caseloads will be tentatively set in the spring for the following school year. Caseloads may be modified based on summer registration and actual fall enrollments. Caseloads will be reviewed at least three times during the school year by individual district special education teachers with their building principal and/or special education consultant. These review times will be at the start of the school year, within two weeks of the start of school, by November 30, and in May when transition staffings have been completed and preliminary caseloads for the following school year have been determined based on enrollment at the time.

The district’s regular early childhood program and early childhood special education program will meet the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards (QPPS) criteria regarding maximum class size and teacher-child ratios. In determining teacher caseloads K-12, the Centerville Community School District will use the assigned points below to the programs of each eligible individual receiving an instructional program in the district. A teacher may be assigned a caseload with no more than 40 total points.

One point: The student receives specially designed instruction/supports from the teacher for less than five hours per week.
Two points: The student receives specially designed instruction/supports from the teacher between 5 and 12.5 hours per week.
Three points: The student receives specially designed instruction/supports from the teacher between 12.5 and 24 hours per week.
Four points: The student receives specially designed instruction/supports from the teacher for more than 24 hours per week.

What procedures will a special education teacher use to resolve caseload concerns?

Caseloads will be reviewed at least three times during the school year by individual district special education teachers with their building principal and/or special education consultant. These review times will be at the start of the school year, within two weeks of the start of school, by November 30, and before the end of the school year when transition staffings have been completed and preliminary caseloads for the following school year have been determined based on enrollment at the time.
Upon review at these times or at other times during the school year when a specified caseload appears to be exceeded, a review may be requested in writing.

Upon review, if there appears to be an overload, the teacher may request and the principal will arrange a Caseload Assistance Team (CAT) meeting. The CAT will be comprised of a general education teacher, the special education teacher, the building administrator, and an AEA representative. The CAT will make recommendations as to whether there is a need for adjustments to a teacher’s schedule or roster.

At any other time, a teacher may request a caseload review by submitting, in writing, the request to the building principal. The building principal must convene the CAT within 5 working days. A resolution and written decision must be made available to the teacher within 5 days after the CAT meeting.

5 . How will the delivery system for eligible individuals meet the targets identified in the state’s performance plan and the LEA determination as assigned by the state? What process will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the delivery system for eligible individuals?

The district will examine their State’s Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Progress Report (APR) data to determine priorities and develop an action plan. If the district meets SPP/APR requirements, the delivery system will be considered effective. If the district does not meet the requirements, the district will work in collaboration with the state and AEA.