Welcome to the CCS SPED Blog!
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It is our mission at Cook County Schools to empower and inspire all learners!
In the spotlight:
In the spotlight:
Hey Gwyn Thornton, Connie Hilliard has this to say!
"Mrs. Gwyn is wonderful asset to our school system! She goes above and beyond to assist at all levels, whether it be with helping assist with student behaviors or helping teachers get materials ready for activities. She has a huge heart and has a loving, caring disposition for everyone!! Our Pre-K program is blessed to have such a wonderful person."
Hey Jamie Shea, Jocelyn Arrendale has this to say!
"Jamie always goes above and beyond for her students and coworkers. She is a ray of sunshine and always ready to help when needed. We are lucky to have her on our team. "
Hey Lindy Browning, Kyla Turner has this to say!
"Our Katie Rae loves Mrs. Lindy! She is always the same when you see her. Great personality. "
Hey Dustin Larkin, Ollie McKinnon has this to say!
"Mr. Larkin is a great behavior specialist!"
Hey Kelly Taylor (CHS teacher of the Month!), Heather Lindsey and Brittany Dozier has this to say!
"This lady is amazing and always has a smile on her face!"
"Your transition advice and the new grade-level questionnaires have saved my life! Thanks for working so hard on pushing out information to us! It is to-the-point and easy-peasy to use! "
Mrs. Leslie McElrath
SPED Director
A Message from McElrath:
There have been some exciting things going on in special education. Just recently, we have had some very successful meetings with our self contained teachers where we discussed revamping our focus this year on increasing the functional communication skills of our learners with communication needs. Our teachers are establishing baseline performance levels and will soon get top notch training, along with SLPs, in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Our co teachers dove into all the aspects of progress monitoring, an essential IDEA requirement. They gave valuable input into refining our progress monitoring practices and will continue to tighten and streamline those practices. They also are working hard to deliver top notch reading intervention strategies to ensure that our learners are better readers! As we get back to business as usual, we will pick up where we left off at the beginning of the year with planned professional development for our paras, which is really exciting.
Discussions with Dr. Holley:
Annual National School Psychology Week is November 8–12, 2021. The 2021 theme is “Let’s Get in GEAR” (Grow, Engage, Advocate, Rise). After what has been a long and challenging year for many, students and adults alike find themselves stuck in a rut or even regressing! We hope to connect students and staff to show that if they Get in GEAR together, it can lead to substantial positive change for all involved. Central to this theme is the importance of the relationships between all students, staff, faculty, and parents within a school building. Here are some "growth acts" you can maintain or improve your school's positive climate:
1. Goal setting with your students and/or department
2. Build social skills by helping students envision how to grow social skills, engage with community and peers, advocate for others, and rise to be their best selves, all to develop and maintain deep friendships.
3. Practice and build active listening skills
More tips will come the week of National School Psychology Week
Dr. Courtney Holley
Psychologist
SPED Specialists Nuggets of Knowledge
SPED Specialists Nuggets of Knowledge
What is FTE and what does it mean for SPED?
FTE = Full Time Equivalent
• The Quality Basic Education (QBE) Act requires local school systems to report student enrollment in terms of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) students
• State funding for the operation of instructional programs are generated from FTE data reported by local school systems
• FTE1 – Data collected is used to inform district compliance indicators • Environments • Disproportionality – placement and identification
• FTE1 informs Federal Child Count
October and March FTE counts earn LEAs (Local Education Agencies AKA School Systems) state funds for all programs including programs for SWD
Support for Building a Relationship
Support for Building a Relationship
with your Co-Teacher
with your Co-Teacher
stuteach-coteach-planningsheet.pdf
Students in Kacy Williams' class enjoying the book vending machine @ CES
Students in Kacy Williams' class enjoying the book vending machine @ CES
Bowling Fun with Jacki Swanson's class
Bowling Fun with Jacki Swanson's class
GA DOE Teacher Tools October 2021
GA DOE Teacher Tools October 2021
Click on the link below to check out the monthly newsletter from the GA Department of Education. This newsletter is designed for teachers of students with disabilities.
Click on the link below to check out the monthly newsletter from the GA Department of Education. This newsletter is designed for teachers of students with disabilities.
Who doesn't love a good meme?
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