|
MISSION, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES
Mission:
The mission of Laredo ISD, as an educational
partner with the City of Laredo and the larger global community, is to
develop and educate our students by providing a relevant and challenging
curriculum through innovative programs and effective use of resources in a
safe and nurturing environment.
Laredo Independent School District’s Special
Education Department supports the following Superintendent’s ’02-’03
Priority Goals with the following special education objectives:
Goal 1: To establish and
maintain an organizational climate that respects the dignity and worth of
all people.
- Empower and support staff
- Establish a Special Education Parent
Advisory Committee
- Provide televised and written information
(English/Spanish) periodically to ensure community awareness on and
related services
- Retain an adequate special education staff
in order to improve individual education programming
Goal 2: To establish and
maintain an environment within the district which maximizes safety for all
students, employees and visitors.
- Refine staffing guidelines
- Reduce special populations relative to
referrals for disciplinary action
- Provide staff development on lifting and
transitioning special education students
- Provide staff development on Attention
Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Crisis Prevention Intervention and Texas
Behavior Support Initiative
- Provide staff development on processes to
safeguard students with disabilities who need special health procedures
Goal 3: To increase the
quality and number of career technology courses that results in students
gaining meaningful skills for employment and continuing their pursuit of
advanced learning.
- Re-establish the Tri-Country Transition
Coalition
- Insure that by age 12, all special
education students will have an Individual Transition Plan in place and
that it be linked to their Individual Education Plan
Goal 4: To lead the
district’s initiative toward continued improvement of academic performance
for all students as measured by TAKS and other appropriate measure of
student gain and to increase the number of students taking the SAT and
ACT.
Referral Rate/identification
- Identify specific areas leading to
inappropriate special education referrals
- Develop training modules to address
deficit areas
- Provide staff development on Learning
Styles
- Ensure that all assessment personnel
(educational and related services) have appropriate training, knowledge,
skills, and materials to provide diagnostic evaluations and to determine
educational need for related services
Instruction
- Identify instructional deficits in special
education
- Promote research based procedures
- Develop appropriate Individual Education
Plans
- Provide staff development on TEKS; Data
Collection & Analysis
- Use TAKS/SDAA/LDAA results to evaluate
student’s rate of progress
Placement
- Ensure that ARD committees consider the
general education setting first (with supports and/or services) in
making placement decisions for students with disabilities allowing them
to remain in the least restrictive environment to the maximum extent
possible
Curriculum
- Align Individual Education Plans to Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills
- Provide staff development and support to
assist campus teachers and administrators in effective instruction and
management practices
Goal 5: To implement
programs and initiative that will result in a significant reduction of
student dropout rate over the next three years.
- Provide a continuum of special education
services
- Track special education students after
leaving the district
- The dropout rate for special education
students will be reduced by 1% yearly until it is within the state
average for students with disabilities
- Continue to make home visits and conduct
counseling sessions in order to bring back students who have dropped out
of school through the dropout recovery program
Goal 6: To implement
effective human resources practices that will result in high morale, fair
employment of personnel and improved employee relations, retention and
recruitment.
- Provide clear and consistent
expectations
- Reinforce effectiveness
- Develop staff strengths and support staff
in skill development
Goal 7: To effectively
implement the district’s construction and facilities maintenance program.
- Provide special education feedback to
construction department
Goal 8: To implement and
monitor appropriate accountability measures to protect the resources of
the district including, but not limited to money, materials, supplies, and
equipment.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of special
education expenditures
- Maintain updated inventory and track fixed
assets
- Refine and apply staffing guidelines for
special education
- The Special Education Department will
maintain a process of accountability for all funds
Goal 9: To implement a
professional and personal growth program that will result in all employees
having the opportunity to enhance their skills and abilities for the
purpose of improving their promotional and wage earning capacities.
- Encourage and enable staff to explore
areas of interest and pursue activities with institutions of higher
learning
- Require twelve hours of technology
professional development for all professionals and clerical district
staff.
Goal 10: To support the
district’s commitment to provide quality instructional and administrative
technology for students, staff and community including acquisition and
maintenance of appropriate hardware and software.
- Provided Assistive Technology Devices to
enhance learning and support education of students with disabilities in
the least restrictive environment
Performance Evaluation:
Evaluation will be assessed by: formal and informal pre and post
tests, observation, and a program evaluation summary report.
Significant Changes from Previous
Year:
Continued focus on activities based on the special
education district performance objective and include reduction of special
education membership, taking and passing the TAKS, decreasing the number
of LEP and economically disadvantage students in special education,
providing the least restrictive environment, reduction of students’
placement in disciplinary alternative education program, reduction of
dropout rate, and reduction of retention rate. In addition, parents and
community partnerships will be set up to improve student achievement.
| 