Pupil Services Town Report

Note: The 2004-2005 Town Report is the most recent report.

Nursing Services: The school nurses continue to support increasing numbers of students with chronic health conditions, as well as deal with issues of communicable diseases such as Pertussis and Varicella. They stayed involved with the state-funded Essential School Health Services with Consultation grant, with professional development for nurses. The nurses revised and updated the schools’ medication administration policy and procedure. They conducted state-mandated vision, hearing, height, weight and postural screenings. The nurses provided ongoing, individualized health teaching to students, staff, and families, as well as community education through Project Wellness. The elementary nurses participated in classroom teaching opportunities, including Human Growth and Development for fifth-grade students, safety and hygiene, scoliosis, and ear anatomy. The nurses at the junior and senior high schools continued work on implementation of the athletic participation form that provides emergency and appropriate medical information about students to their coaches. During Professional Day in March, the nurses attended a Sports Injury Conference at Emerson Hospital and met with the school physicians Drs. Cooper and Rubenstein to discuss current school health issues, including the new state-mandate vision screening protocols. For their study group, the nurses began review and update of health office procedures and piloted a new evaluation tool that they had developed the previous year. Due to vaccine shortages, the school nurses did not receive vaccine from the Town of Acton and were not able to offer the annual Flu Clinic for staff members.

The Acton Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education staff continued to provide screening of children for whom there were developmental concerns. Whether on site or at local preschools this process of child find may lead to special education eligibility evaluation if results warrant.

Now in its eleventh year, the Acton Public Schools Preschool is a well-respected early childhood program option within the community. The interdisciplinary team of early childhood special educators, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech/language therapists provides a spectrum of early childhood services to identified students. Together the early childhood team continued their implementation of the Mass DOE Early Childhood Curriculum Standards (Early Learning Guidelines), including development of an informal assessment tool used to document student development and progress. The APS Preschool is linked to the APS/ABRSD website!  This valuable resource provides information to families of students enrolled and to those who are considering enrollment.

Given the ongoing increased enrollment of students on the Autism Spectrum, a study group met throughout the year with focus on the causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders and some of the teaching methodologies in place.  Recent literature regarding the topic was read and discussed. Participants included staff preschool through grade 3 from both regular and special education. The sessions were well attended and very well received. Parents of students with Autism shared personal experiences with the group

The Acton Public Schools Special Education Department staff (K-6), consisting of special educators, speech/language specialists, occupational therapists and physical therapists, is a cohesive group of talented and dedicated specialists. Educational and therapeutic disciplines communicated regularly. Each department developed long-range goals that supported the Acton Public School District goals.

Staff participated in many professional development opportunities. Through a Massachusetts Department of Education Professional Development Grant, the Special Education Department offered training programs in reading and written language service delivery, speech and language, behavior training via a consultant and strategy instruction. New special educators were trained in Orton-Gillingham, a phonics program, Project READ and updated disability testing.

Last year speech/language specialists studied a range of formal and informal assessments appropriate for assessing student whose native language is other than English. Another focus for department members was to assist classroom teachers in helping students generalize new skills they have learned in special education settings into their classroom work. This type of teamwork really promotes learning!.

All staff members worked closely with school and Pupil Services administration as well as individual classroom teachers. Teachers and specialists designed MCAS alternative assessment for students who are not able to access the regular MCAS assessment. These portfolio assessments were highly creative documents that reflected student’s knowledge of the curriculum as well as their individual learning goals.

Further professional development occurred within the APS system. Speech and language specialists met monthly to discuss current issues within their field. Specialists who studied ADHD last year provided training this year to their staff. Motor specialists have identified strategies and techniques that are to be used with all primary students with motor and visual-perceptual handicaps All special education assistants received training on behavior management, generalization of skills and special instruction and strategies.

The Acton Public Schools English As a Second Language staff member attended trainings on new assessments and regulations. A goal for this specialist was to provide appropriate learning materials to classroom teachers that match the student’s knowledge of the curriculum with their knowledge of English.

The Acton Boxborough Special Education Department staff, consists of special educators, speech/language specialists, occupational and physical therapists.  Educators, clinicians, and specialists communicate and collaborate on a regular basis. Special Education TEAMS provide highly effective services, including detailed and comprehensive evaluation reports and IEPs.   Strong parent communication exists to support families in understanding new regulations pertaining to special education eligibility, and recommended services and methodology.

The Acton Boxborough Regional School District Special Education department has developed long-range goals that span across the next three years and provide direction for the department. A continuum of services exists between the junior high school and high school, ensuring a highly organized, specialized range of programs and services in buildings. The district is particularly proud of specialized in-district programs that meet with needs of students with specific and complex disabilities. The district accepts referrals from other local towns for these specialized special education programs.

At both the junior and senior high schools, administrative collaboration with building leadership teams and with regular education staff is a top priority to ensure that special education/speech and language departmental goals coordinate closely with building objectives. A number of important topics were addressed in the past year. One area of collaboration was in updating the Student and Faculty Handbooks as well as the Emergency Response Plan for both the junior and senior high. Supporting the regular education curriculum continued to be a top priority for the special education department. Research and development opportunities have allowed regular and special educators to develop high quality interdisciplinary opportunities for regular and special education classes. Finally, an ongoing task force consisting of both special and regular educators monitor regular education test taking procedures at the high school level, ensuring that appropriate accommodations are provided to special education students while maintaining the integrity of test taking/assessment process.

Extensive professional development is offered at Acton-Boxborough to train counselors, psychologists and special educators with regard to new special education regulations as well as updated information on specific disabilities, service delivery and the latest assessment tools.  Newly hired special education assistants participate in a mandatory special education assistant training, which addresses topics such as confidentiality, student records, interpreting IEPs, providing classroom support and more.

Regarding MCAS participation, it is a credit to both special and regular educators that very few students have failed the MCAS. Special education teams thoughtfully consider the needs of students who cannot take the MCAS with standard or non-standard accommodations and alternative portfolios are assembled. The special education department works collaboratively with the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction to consider the specific needs of all students scoring in the Warning or Needs Improvement range. Additional collaboration and discussion takes place on an ongoing basis regarding eligibility requirements for alternative assessment and the implications for a high school diploma.

The regular education Academic Support Centers have increased their focus on meeting the increasing needs of our English as a Second Language population. A review of existing ESL services, and analysis and assessment of areas of need in light of those existing projections, has been a priority. For the 2005-2006 school year, a certified ELL Teacher has been hired to address the needs of our regional ELL population, to increase efforts for improved home/school communication and to address standards related to NCLB. The ELL Teacher, in collaboration with the ASC teachers, will be identifying long term ELL student needs, improving entry/exit criteria and looking at ways to increase socialization opportunities for students from other countries.

The Elementary Counselors meet biweekly as a department. This year they read and discussed "Family Matters - How Schools Can Cope with the Crisis in Child Rearing" by Robert Evans. During the Counselors Study Group time, presentations included the following:

Counselors and Psychologists have worked together to learn the new WISC-IV, (cognitive assessment), and its role in determining intra-cognitive discrepancy for specific learning disability diagnosis. Texts have been purchased to aid in further study of interpretation of WISC score. Elementary counselors and psychologists have increased skills in preschool psychological assessments. Several study group discussions have focused on techniques, procedures, developmental skill lists, and report writing needed for these evaluations.

Counselors and psychologists attended a Sunday Chinese School session to enhance understanding Asian educational philosophy and cultural values, and professional development sessions on Indian culture. In addition, counselors have served as: speakers at the "Wellness Conference" for parents and JHS students; panel members for parent evening discussion of the "At Risk Survey" results; presenter at evening parenting course at an elementary school.

Acton Boxborough Counseling: The junior high counseling department worked for the first year on a new caseload assignment, which assigned counselors to students by team as opposed to the alphabetical assignments. Counselors established relationships with Teams and attended Team meetings. In addition, the department supported a revised attendance program to assist the administration in tracking those students with attendance concerns. The department worked on an individual student crisis protocol as well as a flow chart of student concerns for teachers to use as a resource.

The high school counseling department was fortunate to have both full-time and part-time school psychology interns to assist in counseling, assessment, and intervention with students with significant social-emotional and learning needs. Counselors enhanced their small group offerings to students by redesigning the small group presentations to sophomores and juniors around career exploration and post high school planning. The department also discussed changing the senior essay workshop to include more information about applying to colleges and the format allowed counselors to work in small groups with their own students. The department continued to work closely with a part-time school social worker supported by a United Way grant whose role was to meet with at-risk students. Counselors continued to be involved in the VOICE committee, class advisorships, Best Buddies, and Mentors In Violence Prevention programs.

8/10/06