Support Services

Mission:

The SSPT collaboratively assesses individual student needs, identifies appropriate supports, develops systematic approaches to address those needs, and continuously monitors for student success.

Student Success Planning Team (SSPT) Rationale:

To provide additional support to meet the academic, social/emotional, and physical development of all William H. Hall High students.

Throughout the school year, the Student Success Planning Team (SSPT) – a team comprised of Academic Service Providers (teachers and academic interventionists), Student Support Providers (school counselors, nurse, pupil services personnel, and community agency representatives), and an administrator - meet weekly to discuss the effectiveness of various interventions on the pyramid and how to fine-tune and improve the system. Students may be referred to one or more committees of the SSPT.

Student Success Planning is an individualized, student driven process that is designed to help every student to achieve post-secondary educational and career goals. The process is designed around three core components: Academic Development, Career Development, and Social, Emotional and Physical Development. These core components drive a series of experiences for students grades 9 - 12 that are delivered through: 1) whole school, or grade level, or course level experiences; 2) the School Counseling 6-12 Curriculum Framework; and 3) individual and online experiences with documentation (i.e., Bridges and Naviance). This process creates multiple opportunities for students to acquire and demonstrate academic, career, and personal life skills. It also provides students with on-going support to set and monitor goals for personal and academic growth and serves as an individualized, student-driven plan. The pyramid of student interventions, Scientific Research-Based Interventions (SRBI) Model, moves from least intense to highly individualized and intensive (bottom up), whereas students do not typically access more elevated/structured supports unless and until they have exhausted the more universal ones first.

Planning and Placement Team (PPT)

This team, comprised of the parent, special education teacher, classroom teacher, school counselor, appropriate related service staff members, and administrator, works with students referred by their parents/guardians, a teacher, or the principal. Once referred, this team of specialists assesses children’s needs and if a student if found eligible under IDEA, provides specialized instruction to meet individual student these needs in the classroom, in special classes, or in a resource room setting.

Pupil Services

Special Education Instruction

High school programs and services are provided at a student’s home school with the exception of the STRIVE (Success through Responsibility, Initiative, Vision and Education) alternative program. The focus is on general education placement. Co-taught classes for many core courses, (English, Math, Social Studies, Science) are available. Instructional Support is also offered through learning strategy, resource and special education reading classes. Related services are also integrated into the program. Vocational services include transition planning, community work experience, job/office training and the pre-vocational activity center.

Intensive Behavioral Support is provided through the STRIVE program for high school students with significant behavioral and emotional disabilities. Behavioral plans are developed and implemented for each student. Group and/or individual counseling is provided. Access to general education is planned as appropriate. The program is located in the Cogswell Building on the American School for the Deaf (ASD) campus.

Intensive Academic Support services at Conard and Hall offer more targeted strategies and interventions along with increased time within the special education environment. The focus of the program is on functional academics and transition skills. Teachers and staff in the intensive program are selected for their specialized experience and training. In addition, students in this program work with a district-wide transition coordinator to build skills necessary for maximizing post-secondary options.

Speech & Language

Speech and language pathologists (SLPs) provide a variety of therapeutic services to eligible students in preschool through 12th grade. Students diagnosed with speech, language and communication disorders are provided with direct therapy in individual, small group and/or classroom settings.

Speech and language pathologists also work closely with parents and teachers in the diagnosis of speech and language disorders, academic and therapeutic planning and implementation of services. They also play a consultative role for parents and educators at all stages of the process: early intervention, pre-referral, diagnosis, and therapy. The provision of services varies based upon the individual needs of the mandated students but each school within the district is covered by one or more speech language pathologists to meet the needs of the mandated students in that school.

Students identified with language impairments (LI) receive speech and language therapy from their speech and language therapists in their neighborhood school. They often receive additional instructional support from their special education resource teacher given the integrated nature of their language and learning needs.

Clinical Support: Social Workers/Psychologists

The WHPS Social Workers are clinicians with expertise in child and family development and an understanding of diverse cultural and social systems. Their mission is to ensure the social and emotional well-being of all students in order for them to achieve success in the educational environment and in the community. They accomplish this by providing counseling, consultation and advocacy in collaboration with school staff, families and community resources.

School psychologists provide a broad range of services to schools, students and families to support positive educational outcomes. Drawing on training in psychology and education they engage in collaborative problem solving with educators and parents to accomplish educational goals. Services include prevention and intervention planning, as well as counseling, consultation, and assessment.

Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy

Teachers of the Deaf

Teachers of the Deaf provide direct instruction and consultative services to students (Pre K-12) diagnosed with varying degrees of hearing loss. Depending on student need, the Teachers of the Deaf provide services utilizing aural/oral methods, sign language, and/or cochlear implant therapies. Services are individualized to each student's specific needs based on degree of hearing loss, mode of communication, and mainstream academic needs. These services include diagnostic testing, intense language based instruction, auditory therapy, speech production, speech reading, specialized pre-teaching and post-teaching, as well as ongoing consultation with parents and general education classroom teachers. Additional services include classroom amplification equipment, oral and sign language interpreting, accommodations/modifications in the mainstream, and consultation with audiologists and other specialists.

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology Services are provided to special education students to facilitate the student's achievement and access to the general education classroom within the least restrictive environment. The PPT determines what services are appropriate for individual students. West Hartford has an Assistive Technology Consultant and an Assistive Technology Resource Team that provides consultation and support services to all levels (pre-K-12) and all disability categories.

Assistive technology is defined as any device, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. Assistive technology devices range from simple (low technology) through mid- technology tools like tape recorders, calculators, and switch -operated toys to the most sophisticated and cutting edge tools (high technology) which are purchased and/or customized. Examples of low- tech devices include straws or Velcro; high tech devices include computers or motorized wheelchairs.

Additional Student Support Services

ESOL

ESOL

ESOL and TLP services support English Language Learners in our schools. ELLs speak another language besides English in their homes. Our program's goal is to develop the language skills that are necessary for students to achieve academic success in the mainstream classroom.

The ESOL curriculum is designed to develop language skills such as vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading and writing through thematic units that are aligned with grade-level Common Core Standards. Groups are formed and scheduled based on grade level and students’ individual language proficiency and needs.