Meeting+Minutes

= **Meeting Minutes** =

Meeting held 9/24/09 at the ESE Office from 4:30pm until 6:30pm.
Cathy Dofka Virginia Duckworth Maureen Finelli Andrea Freeman Susan Gemmati Marvin Gordon Theresa Gramazio Cassandra Hall Gretchen Hicks Troy LaBarbara Aliya Killion Carrie LaBarge Susan Moglia Alison O’Reilly Lydia Pinkowski Barbara Regan Sabreena Sarran Amy Stoessel Renee Supple Stacy Walsh ** 1. Introduction of Florida Inclusion Network Representative Aliya Killion: ** FIN provides professional developmental trainings as well as a number of resources for administrators, teachers, parents, etc. FIN recently partnered with ESE and FDLRS to present a new school-based approach to differentiated instruction. A brief description of the process was described. The partners work with an individual school to gather and analyze data to identify their professional development needs. Teams are then formed at the site, and two professional development opportunities are presented. Option 1 is a book study where groups read and exchange application ideas with our FIN representative facilitating the first and last sessions. Option 2 is the face-to-face trainings on differentiated instruction. There are additional training supports with an assessment workshop and FDLRS PDA-ESE Modules. The partnership with the individual school site can endure for two to three years. Specific sites that have been approached include: BES, MES, SHES, WHMS, HHS. One suggestion from the focus group was to include the K-8 schools. Another idea was presented where individual teachers wishing to participate in these trainings can do so at the ESE Office if site administrators do not desire to participate. ** 2. ** **Calendar: The following dates were set for 4:30pm-6:30pm at the ESE Office:** October 29, 2009 December 10, 2009
 * Members in Attendance:**

**3. Hernando County Schools’ 2007-2008 LEA Profile:** Cathy Dofka reviewed the LEA Profile. The LEA Profile is a form of report card that is completed for each county each year. Hernando County is labeled as a “middle” county where all counties are ranked by size. Some percentages revealed in the report are as follows: Graduation rate receiving a standard diploma: 48.47% Drop out rate 5% Performance of SWD on statewide assessments: 28.9% proficiency in reading 34% proficiency in math Rate of suspension/ expulsion 2.28% FAPE/LRE for students 6-21 yrs 81% Parent Involvement 30.4% Evaluations processed in 60 days 99% Part C Eligibility for Part B before 3rd Birthday 100% Transition 0% Post-School Outcomes 48.4% Correction of Noncompliance 100% Timely and Accurately Reported Data 100% **4. Inclusive Models of Support** self-contained classroom Resource room Peer support Co-teach
 * CHS:**

gifted 2 pre-K (SWD) medically fragile self-contained rooms resource rooms Co-teach/Supports
 * EK-8:**

Resource room Support Facilitation (two classes per grade) (two classes per grade)
 * FCMS:**

2 pre-K ( 1SWD, 1 co-teach) Resource room K—6 Co-teach K—5 (two classes) 2 Co-teachers for grades 6, 7, 8 Peer mentoring program offered as a middle school elective.
 * Floyd K-8:**

pre-K (SWD and co-teach) 1—5 co-teach Resource room
 * MES:**

pre-K (SWD) Resource room (K-5) Co-teach (K-5)
 * PGES:**

Co-teach Support Facilitation Resource room
 * PMS:**

pre-K co-teach with YMCA 1—5 co-teach (one class per grade)
 * SHES:**
 * Resource room

WHMS:** self-contained classroom Resource rooms Co-teach, Support Facilitation Peer Support All sites have individual students on consult and monitoring status. **5. Objectives and Goals for the Year:** This item was postponed due to a number of absent members. This item will be placed on October’s agenda when more school sites will hopefully be in attendance.

Meeting held 4/23/09 at the ESE Office from 4:30pm until 6:30pm.
**Members in Attendance:** Leechele Booker Lori Borchardt Steve Daniels Cathy Dofka Virginia Duckworth Dominick Ferello Susan Gemmati Marvin Gordon Theresa Gramazio Cassandra Hall Kristin Hope Cathy Kania Aliya Killion Carrie LaBarge Sharon Mechler Susan Moglia Alison O'Reilly Lydia Pinkowski Carmine Rufa Sabreena Sarran Amy Stoessel Barbara Tobin Stacy Walsh Sharon Warthen

**1.** **Year in Review:** As a focus group, we completed the Best Practices in Inclusive Education (B.P.I.E.) this past year and devised a plan to pursue two objectives this year. Our efforts to complete this process are underway and will be continued again next year. Each representative provided a brief summary of inclusive practices currently being implemented at each school site.
 * **Floyd Elementary:** Floyd currently offers one to two inclusive classes at each grade level depending on student needs. Their program is successful and productive. Faculty and staff welcome questions regarding inclusive programs.
 * **Central High**: Inclusive classes can be found throughout the many subject areas and grade levels. The Peer Support Program proudly places students with moderate and significant disabilities in the general education classes with the aid of nondisabled peers.
 * **West Hernando Middle:** Inclusive classes are found in all grade levels and subject areas. The Peer Support Program has experienced great success this year.
 * **Spring Hill Elementary:** Spring Hill proudly hosts an inclusive pre-K program in cooperation with the Y.M.C.A. They have established a resource room due to individual student need. Inclusive classes exist in every grade level. Spring Hill is preparing to schedule students for the next school year and including the assistance of district ESE personnel in the process. Technology is allowing a student to attend school even though his disability prevents him from physically participating in the classroom environment.
 * **Hernando High:** Hernando High has eight teachers who work in inclusive classes throughout subject areas and grade levels. They were able to offer more support to students in Science and Social Studies classes this year. The staff is on board with the statewide IEP program, and Hernando High plans to start a Peer Support Program next year.
 * **Pine Grove Elementary:** Pine Grove offers inclusive classes in each grade level as well as two resource rooms. They are busy creating next year’s schedule and plan to try to include more students with disabilities in the general education environment.
 * **Challenger K-8:** Challenger provides inclusive classes at each grade level and are able to provide support in Reading, Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. The elementary teachers were able to departmentalize this year which allows teachers the opportunity to become specialists in the various curricula. They are currently working to establish a resource room in response to individual student needs.
 * **Parrott Middle:** Parrott Middle implements inclusive practices at all grade levels. They are currently scheduling students with disabilities with the assistance of district ESE personnel and have recognized the need for inclusive classes to be scheduled first. Parrott Middle proudly implements Positive Behavior Supports.
 * **Explorer K-8:** Explorer offers the full continuum of services from Kindergarten through grade 8. They are beginning the scheduling process and attempting to include even more students in general education classes next year.
 * **FDLRS:** Florida Diagnostic Learning Resource Systems works to provide professional development for all staff and faculty. They have experienced great success this year in the PDA-ESE Online Modules, Wired Wednesday Workshops at the Assistive Technology Lab, and a program series for new ESE teachers. A technology resource brochure was distributed to members and may be downloaded at: http://www.fdlrstec.com/handouts
 * **Parent Services:** Parent Services educated the ESE Advisory Committee in inclusive practices this year. They have offered a Family Friendly Schools workshop which now includes a piece on inclusive practices. Parent Services has worked hard to distribute the Florida Inclusion Network’s Inclusion Factfolio to all administration, staff, and stakeholders. Parent Services distributes a welcome packet to all parents of students who are new to ESE. They are currently attending kindergarten round-ups and open houses. Parent Services representatives have worked to organize and will be in attendance at the Autism Walk on April 25, 2009 at Central High School.
 * **Special Students of Hernando** : The Special Students are currently participating in a fundraiser. They will be selling t-shirts at the Autism Walk at Central High School on April 25, 2009 at Central High School.
 * **Moton Elementary:** Moton offers the full continuum of services from pre-K through grade five. Resource programs are working to increase the number of students included in general education programs. In their first year of implementation, they have experienced great success with Positive Behavior Supports.
 * **Transportation:** 100% Inclusion! Parent Services was able to provide professional development to the Transportation staff using F.A.T. City materials. This year, they hope to provide professional development on inclusive practices. Transportation representatives have found it extremely effective to pair two and three students together when transporting students with disabilities.
 * **Pre-K:** Pre-K ESE programs are available at most elementary school sites. Cathy Kania has worked hard to assist pre-K teachers at elementary school sites including Head Start.

**2** ** . New Florida Inclusion Network Representative: We proudly introduce Ms. Aliya Killion as the representative for FIN for our area. We welcome her to Hernando County Schools and invite her to take part in the many activities offered here. ** ** 3. Increasing Participation: ** The Inclusion Focus members debated the use of different days, times, and locations as a way to increase participation in our monthly meetings. One member suggested alternating between Tuesdays and Thursdays as a way of accommodating everyone’s needs. This will all be debated again as we begin the new year. Keep in mind that the following three locations have been offered: West Hernando Middle, Transportation, and the ESE Office. The first meeting for next year is September 24, 2009 at the ESE Office. ** 4. ** ** Open Forum: ** The Parent Institute will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at West Hernando Middle School.

Susan Gemmati Kristin Hope Cathy Kania Carrie LaBarge Susan Moglia Alison O'Reilly Lydia Pinkowski Carmine Rufa Amy Stossel Barbara Tobin
 * Meeting held 3/19/09 at the ESE Office from 4:30pm until 6:30pm.** Members in Attendance:

**1.** ** Wikispace: ** The group took a tour of the Wikispace which represents the latest and greatest events in Hernando County’s inclusive programs. We were able to add a page to document great happenings in our classrooms. Be sure to check out the link and read a recent newspaper article about Central High School’s Peer Support Program. Individuals also proposed adding the district mission statement and showing how our group aligns with the Hernando County School Board’s mission. Other suggestions included adding the Procedural Safeguards and a sample of the statewide IEP. **3. Future Plans:** Our next meeting will take place on April 23, 2009 from 4:30pm until 6:30 pm at the ESE Office. This will be the last meeting for the 2008-2009 school year. Dates for meetings for the 2009-2010 school year will be selected in August for the entire year so members are able to plan on attending all meetings and events. The point of venue was brought up and will remain a topic on future agendas. West Hernando Middle School offered to host future meetings for the next school year. Other sites, which may be more centrally located, may also volunteer to host our monthly meetings. Membership and attendance were also discussed. This will be one of the topics on the April agenda. **If you are a member and have not attended, please select someone to represent you and your school.** We need to increase active participation in order to continue to impact inclusive education programs in Hernando County.
 * 2. Showcasing Inclusion: ** The recent DVD project was discussed. The movie will contain two parts. The first part will focus on clips filmed in inclusive classrooms, and the clips will help define inclusion. The second part will focus on the gathering of data to compare the performance of ESE students in inclusive programs with the performance of ESE students not in inclusive programs. All data will come from Hernando County classrooms. Individuals and schools will not be highlighted. The subject area of Reading was selected as much data is regularly assessed in DIBELS, Think Link, etc. Data will be selected to represent the third, seventh, and tenth grade levels.

Meeting held 2/26/09 at the ESE Office from 4:30pm until 6:30pm.
Members in Attendance: Susan Gemmati Terry Gramazio Kristin Hope Carrie LaBarge Sharon Mechler Susan Moglia Alison O’Reilly Lydia Pinkowski Amy Stoessel Barbara Tobin Stacy Walsh

**1.** **Proposal from Last Focus Group Meeting:** The group reviewed last year’s use of the **Best Practices in Inclusive Education** (BPIE) and explained how we had created a Plan of Action from the BPIE results. During January’s Inclusion Focus Group meeting, representatives from Explorer K-8, J.D. Floyd K-8, and Challenger K-8 offered classroom access so district personnel could observe inclusive classrooms and gain a better understanding of Inclusion in the Hernando County Schools. **2. Review of our Initiative to Invite District Personnel:** District personnel have had great difficulty attending our meetings. It was proposed that we make an appointment with Mrs. Sonya Jackson and send a team to represent us. The team members chosen for the visit included: Cassandra Hall, Kristin Hope, Stacy Walsh, Carrie LaBarge, Amy Stoessel, and Alison O’Reilly. The team would be able to approach Mrs. Jackson with an agenda for the next Inclusion Focus Group meeting. After much discussion, it was suggested that a DVD could be made to educate all district personnel about Inclusion. The DVD could then be presented to the School Board members at a workshop. This would help facilitate our need to educate people about Inclusion and meet the busy schedules of all involved. The DVD would include data to support inclusive programs using established schools with low staff turnover rates. The data could be attained through the Assessment teachers at the individual school sites. The visits and recording should be done before the end of this school year. **3. Inclusion Focus Group 2009!:** The group proposed that we create a Wiki Space to represent our group. Wiki Spaces have been set up for various groups, and they are supported by the Florida Department of Education. The Space would include meeting minutes and would allow members who could not attend meetings to find out what was discussed at the last meeting.