Lodi Unified School District

PROPOSAL FOR A NEW CLINICAL PROGRAM

Board of Education MeetingOctober 18, 2011

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Executive Summary The LUSD Clinical Program will serve elementary and middle school students with emotional disabilities that significantly interfere with the student’s ability to progress in the educational environment. In order to help insure appropriate progress, the program will create a safe environment that blends positive relationships with constructive limit-setting. The development and implementation of a Clinical Program would allow LUSD to continue to be responsible for the education of this group of students with emotional, behavioral and/or social challenges. It would effectively decrease our dependence on placement of students at expensive Non-Public School (NPS) programs. The program would allow LUSD to significantly reduce the level of expenditures on NPS placements.

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Executive Summary (continued)

There would be six classes. The program will serve 1st grade through 8th grade students and emphasize early intensive therapeutic intervention. Each class would enroll a maximum of 12 students. The program needs to be at stand-alone site with a full-time administrator. Each class would be staffed with 1 full-time special education credentialed teacher and two, 6-hour paraeducators. There will be 3 clinical counselors and 1 school psychologist assigned to serve the 6 classes. The program consists of a highly structured classroom integrated with a wide range of psychotherapeutic services. Academic and emotional/behavioral goals and services are carefully blended togetherto insure a fully integrated classroom experience.

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Executive Summary (continued) The program is designed to serve students with severe emotional disturbances who have not responded to less restrictive academic environments including our Intensive Intervention (II) programs and less intensive therapeutic modalities.

The overall goal of the program will be to assist students so that they will eventually have a positive and successful transition back to their assigned public school program.

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Advantages of New Program

• The development and implementation of a Clinical Program would allow LUSD to continue to be responsible for the education of this group of students with emotional, behavioral and/or social challenges.

• It would effectively decrease our dependence on placement of students at expensive Non-Public School (NPS) programs. The program would allow LUSD to significantly reduce the level of expenditures on NPS placements.

• The District would generate an increase in revenue through Local Education Agency (LEA) Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) billing that will cover some of the costs for the Clinical Counselor and School Psychologist positions to support the six classrooms. Please be aware that LUSD would not begin to receive this revenue until the 2nd year of the program’s operation.

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Program Funding Sources

Based on student attendance the following fundingsources are available:• Additional LEA Medi-Cal funds. We could generate

additional revenue for each Clinical Counselor and School Psychologist assigned to the program.

• Additional revenue generated through a “fee for service” model from enrollment of students placed by other school districts. This model would be an annual cost to school districts that is less than what they incur for NPS placements.

• Additional revenue generated through MAA funds.

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Program PhilosophyThe LUSD Clinical Program will serve students with emotional disabilities that significantly interfere with the student’s ability to progress in the educational environment. In order to help insure appropriate progress, the program will create a safe environment that blends positive relationships with constructive limit-setting. This safe environment can best be developed when the child, the family, program staff (educators and therapists), and related agencies all collaborate as a team. To the extent that these team members display mutual respect and cooperation, the child will develop the necessary, self-esteem, internal controls and academic skills to fulfill his/her potential.

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Description of the Program• The 360-minute instructional day and 30-minute lunch

break would total 6.5 hours in length.• There would be six classes. The program will serve 1st

grade through 8th grade students and emphasize early intensive therapeutic intervention.

• Each class would enroll a maximum of 12 students.• The program needs to be at stand-alone site with a full-

time administrator. • Each class would be staffed with 1 full-time special

education credentialed teacher and two, 6-hour paraeducators. There will be 3 clinical counselors and 1 school psychologist assigned to serve the 6 classes.

• Two behavior paraeducators will float between classes to provide additional support.

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Program Components• Students will develop a positive self-image and

increased self-esteem. • Students will focus on developing skills around resiliency

and developmental assets. • Staff will have skills and knowledge around the

development and implementation of a highly structured classroom “level system”.

• Attendance will also be tracked and rewarded in order that students may appreciate the value of daily attendance and correlate the relationship between attendance and progress

• Intensive individual and group counseling services will be provided for each student enrolled in the program.

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Program Components (continued)• The program consists of a highly structured classroom integrated

with a wide range of psychotherapeutic services. • Academic and emotional/behavioral goals and services are

carefully blended together to insure a fully integrated classroom experience.

• Each child is assigned a clinician who develops a treatment plan which includes individual, group and family therapy. Regular family contact is an essential part of the program and is necessary for each family.

• The clinician will work to make a connection with the family or caregiver on a weekly basis and insure monthly contact. Parent trainings will be scheduled as appropriate.

• The typical length of stay is 6-18 months, depending upon the student’s progress in reaching the educational and treatment goals as specified on the Individual Education Program Plan (IEP).

• The program is designed to serve students with severe emotional disturbances who have not responded to less restrictive academic environments including our Intensive Intervention (II) programs and less intensive therapeutic modalities.

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Program Components (continued)• An emphasis on skill development, study skills, and

organization will assist the students in meeting grade level standards.

• Language arts and mathematics instruction will be the highest priority. Other curricular subjects will be integrated as appropriate, to meet District promotion or graduation requirements.

• Further development of life skills and an emphasis on doing one’s personal best will help students achieve success.

• Curriculum will be differentiated so that it challenges each student at their respective level, yet provides for a high degree of success.

• The overall goal of the program will be to assist students so that they will eventually have a positive and successful transition back to their assigned public school program.

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Supplemental Resources and Technology

• Students will have access to multimedia-capable computers with access to the Internet.

• Students will be able to have an individualized learning plan with the associated resources available.

• Students will engage in interactive, technology rich, highly motivating lessons designed to meet the needs of the individual diverse learner.

• In addition, students will utilize web-based applications.• Each classroom will be equipped with a variety of

computers.

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Social-Emotional Domain Goals

• To develop core social-emotional competency for both students and teachers.

• To develop healthy behavior for students and increase teachers’ ability to motivate and manage diverse learners.

• To provide students the opportunity to develop skills necessary to effectively manage the public school social-emotional-behavioral experience and associated challenges.

• To increase resiliency and empowerment which will assist in the growth of self-esteem and problem-solving abilities.

• To develop effective conflict resolution skills.• To reduce the likelihood that students will be referred for

disciplinary reasons.

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ENROLLMENT PROCESS • The Clinical Program is to be viewed as an intensive

therapeutic intervention for students at-risk of not being successful due to challenging emotional, behavioral and/or social issues. Students enrolled in this program would be identified as special education.

• Prior to enrollment in the program, the staff and administration of the referring school site will complete a referral packet and request a Staffing Meeting to include the Clinical Program staff and administration.

• If the Staffing Meeting results in the team recommending placement in the program, an IEP meeting will be convened with the parents to discuss and agree upon the recommendation for placement.

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PROGRAM OUTCOMES The desired outcome for the program is fully engaged students who are learning in a manner best suited to their needs. This will also result in: • Increased levels of student achievement. • Increased levels of socially appropriate student

behaviors. • Students demonstrating a high degree of

progress so that they will be successfully transitioned back to a public school at the earliest possible time.

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NPS COST DATA• In any given year, we range between 76 and 84 students enrolled in

NPS programs. A majority of these students are eligible for special education services as emotionally disturbed (ED).

• Annual program costs can range between $31,481 and $88,925 per student, depending on level of support; e.g. transportation, Designated Instructional Support (DIS), 1:1 paraeducator, etc.

• Total NPS cost for fiscal year 2010-2011 was $2,997,205. • The Lodi Area Special Education Region (LASER) SELPA will

receive for Fiscal Year 2011-2012, Out of Home Care funding of $842,948 which funds NPS placements.

• We conservatively estimate that when the new program reaches its capacity of 72 students this would reduce our general fund contribution by approximately $2,569,032 (72 X $35,681). We would not need to outsource NPS services for 72 students.

• We estimate that through LEA Medi-Cal billing we will generate about $110,000 annually.

• We estimate that through MAA billing we will generate about $30,000 annually.

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Timeline & Next Steps• Committee Work to complete proposal -

April 2011 to September 2011• Development of proposed program budget -

June 2011 to September 2011• Project on purifying the water at the school site –

June 2011 to October 2011• Presentation of proposal for new Clinical

Program to Board of Education - October 18, 2011

• Target start date for new program - January 9, 2012

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Recommendation

The Board of Education is requested toprovide direction to staff regarding moving forward with implementation of anew Clinical Program at the Turner Elementary School site in the Lodi Unified School District.

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AppendicesA committee was created for the purpose of developing the Proposal for a new Clinical Program. The following list are members of this committee:Rhonda Baumgartner, Program Specialist NPSTerry Herink, School PsychologistCarrie Rutledge-Spencer, School PsychologistDebbie Lee, Administrative Secretary IBill Saunders, Coordinator Psychological Services David Wax, Administrative Director Student Services/SELPA