Special Services

The Oregon Department of Education will soon be asking families living in Bethel School District with children receiving special education services to respond to the 2011 Family Involvement Survey. Families are randomly selected to participate in this survey. Families selected are encouraged to take a few minutes to complete and return the survey in the self-addressed, stamped envelope. The Oregon Department of Education hopes to use the results of the survey to plan improvements in Oregon’s special education system.

There are many factors that influence student success at school and ultimately future success in the community. One of the most important factors tied to student outcomes is attendance.

School achievement is intimately linked to attendance in both the short-term and long-term. Research indicates that students with better attendance histories are more likely to demonstrate greater proficiency in many academic areas than students who are chronically absent from school. Additionally, students who have better attendance are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education. This information has significant implications for all school-age students. Students who miss school not only miss instruction, but they also miss elaboration of material and discussion about academic concepts. As students accumulate more absences cumulatively, the opportunities to learn decrease and the gaps in skill proficiency widens. For students with educational disabilities who require consistent specially designed instruction to make academic and behavior progress, the implications of this research is even more substantive.

Oregon education statutes indicate that “all children between the ages of 7 and 18 years who have not completed the 12th grade are required to attend regularly a public full-time school of the school district in which the child resides” (ORS – 339.010) with a few exceptions. Additionally, Oregon school districts are required to have at least a 92% attendance rate. Failure to meet this rate can lead to the failure of schools making annual yearly progress (AYP), which is directly tied to funding. In the most recent years, Bethel School District attendance numbers have exceeded the 92% requirement.

Absences are sometimes difficult to avoid (significant illness, family emergencies, etc.), but promoting excellent student attendance at school is paramount for shaping successful and virtuous adults.

Adolescent literacy has gained national attention in the last decade. Here are a couple facts about adolescent literacy- in 2007 the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) released a startling fact, 69% of U.S. 8th graders perform below the proficient level in reading. In 2009, Oregon 8th graders performed three points above the national average earning a performance score of 265, the national average was 263 (NAEP, 2009).
Starting in the fourth grade, students are “reading to learn”; that is, they are learning academic information by reading. When students perform below the proficient level on the NAEP, that means reading their grade level texts is a struggle. Achieving reading comprehension that is measured to be at (or above) grade level, is very important for students’ academic success. Starting in 2012, students will need to demonstrate reading skills that meet the Essential Skills Requirement in order to achieve the Oregon Diploma.
In Bethel, we have many supports in place to catch our students far before they reach the 8th grade. Starting in kindergarten, we assess and provide reading instruction that meets each student’s needs. This has proven to be an effective model for reading instruction. In high school, we continue to assess and provide reading instruction. It is a good time to be a student in Bethel- your child’s reading skill development is in good hands!
2009 National Assessment for Educational Progress Reading Report Card for Grades 4 and 8
Oregon Diploma’s Reading Essential Skill Requirement

Annually the Bethel School District special education department reviews it’s data as outlined in the Systems Performance Review and Improvement (SPR&I) process developed by the Oregon Department of Education. The Oregon Department of Education developed the annual audit plan to ensure districts in Oregon remain in compliance with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 requirements.
The district sends a special education team including administrators, teachers, and records secretary will attend a training provided by the Oregon Department of Education. Following the training there will be a procedural compliance review of 21 student files, selected by the Oregon Department of Education. In each file, nearly every procedural aspect of the referral, identification and individual education plan development for the student will be checked. This process helps the district to ensure that not only are we providing and documenting the services that student’s need, but also ensures that we are accurately documenting the process of determining student needs.
Following the procedural compliance aspect of the audit, there are many other data to review with respect to the services and outcomes for students with disabilities in the Bethel School District. The district will “drill down” into data about graduation rates, academic yearly progress, federal placement data, discipline data, proportionality of ethnic diversity, and the timeliness of initial evaluations for special education. This data review process helps to not only find areas that we can improve upon, but also areas that we do very well in. More on these areas to come!
The district team will attend the annual training on October 18, with the procedural compliance and data review activities to follow shortly thereafter.

As I was assisting with completing fall screenings, I was reminded again of why I love working with children. One of the many joys is hearing the funny things that they say. I was asking a first grader, “What do you like about your new class and school?” His response was not altogether unique and surprising at first, when he responded, “recess”. Then when I continued the conversation and asked, “Tell me about your friends in the class”, he responded, “Well, I like this one girl about an inch or two, but she likes me a really, whole lot”. That comment still brings a smile to my face, two weeks later!