Part 2: A Section 504 Planning Team Agenda to Provide Academic & Social Continuity: The Resource, Recovery and Re-Entry Plan
The S. 504 Plan is a formal written agreement for a student that is developed by the school staff working in partnership with the student's parents and health care providers (and the student).
The goal of the plan is to identify barriers to education for a student at risk for disrupted attendance and to provide the instructional resources and services that enable the student to make meaningful educational progress.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
School Nurse
- Identify student with a pattern of or at risk for disrupted attendance.
- Obtain documentation from student's physicians, therapists and other specialists. (Health professions should anticipate the student's need for documentation. Avoid all or nothing short cuts: Physicians may need information on flexible program options.)
- Consult on school environmental safeguards and modifications.
- Design and monitors student's individual school health care plan.
- Provide teacher and peer education, family and student support.
Counselor/Advisor/Liaison
- Develop student profile including a) performance history, b) attendance history; c) learning needs.
- Maintain student educational record.
- Flag pattern of absences
- Arrange for educational evaluations of student's needs.
- Coordinate plan.
- Plan timely communication and information exchange, opportunities for social continuity (peer tutors, peer editors, study buddies...)
Principal
- Initiate and supervises student's plan.
- Identify planning team and roles, tasks and responsibilities.
- Convene the planning team meeting.
- Ensure state curriculum frameworks or standards are available to team.
- Provide home instructors/Mentors
- Provide primary or supplementary instructional support. Must be qualified in the subject area he or she is responsible for.
Teacher(s)
- Provide instructional framework and goals for learning program unless delegated to department chair, alternative educational service or program.
- Promote distant learning and communication opportunities.
- Facilitate student-student communication.
Department Heads
- Provide curricular guidelines and program quality assurance.
- Consult with curriculum specialist/educational media specialist
- Provide information for adapted or alternative methodology and technology, multimedia resources and audio/visual programs.
- Consult with teachers on instructional resources and materials, assignments and evaluation criteria.
Parents
- Provide information for student profile.
- Provide emotional support for student.
- Provide feedback to liaison and staff on appropriateness and effectiveness of program, resources and services.
Student
- Express needs.
- Express preferences and interests.
Circle of friends
- Brainstorm ways to maintain communication and connections
STEP ONE: Develop Student Profile
Conduct a Needs Assessment to identify student's functional abilities and functional barriers, achievement levels in each subject area (reference curriculum framework/syllabus), etc.
Consider:
- Computer skills, Use of Assistive Technology
- Note-taking and Documentation skills (footnotes, bibliographies, etc.)
- Lab skills
- Interests
- Memory strategies
- Organizational skills
- Proofreading and editing skills (punctuation, word usage, spelling, grammar)
- Reading level
- Research skills
- Test taking strategies
- Use of reference materials
- Writing process
Consider:
- ability to concentrate
- alertness
- appetite, thirst
- attention
- behavior
- coordination and balance
- fine motor/gross motor control
- time demands of treatment, rehabilitation plan
- energy demands of treatment
- rehabilitation plan
- Medication schedule, effects of medication
- memory
- moods
- sleep patterns
- variations in strength or stamina
- temperament
STEP TWO
Identify educational goals and objectives for all subject areas. (Reference state frameworks, course syllabi, learning objectives, study guides, reading lists, and lesson plans.)
Consider modifications and related service such as appropriate scheduling or location to enable student to maximize participation or attendance.
Identify instructional resources and assistive technology gto match curricular goals and student's needs.
Define criteria for selecting materials.
Identify menu or multimedia resources and technology such as online local, national and global learning communities and online mentors, teachers, peers and coaches to establish tele-learning and www systems that enhance and enrich independent learning opportunities as well as collaborative learning.
Provide duplicate texts and course resources for home use.
Offer alternative formats for resources and evaluations.
Vary length and format for variable levels of effort or attention.
Offer Part-time/flex-time selective attendance.
Offer sequential vs. simultaneous scheduling of courses.
Cluster courses or rooms to reduce travel time between classes.
Plan rest areas or rest times (both private/social areas).
Provide elevator pass.
Schedule frequent breaks as needed.
Arrange transportation to school, extra curricular activities and events.
Evaluate and improve environmental conditions at school.
Ensure adequate ventilation, eliminate or reduce odors, mold, chemicals, construction activity, pesticide applications, and animals.
Adapt physical education/fitness programs; Provide physical/occupational therapy at school.
Provide extended year program options.
Other_________________________
STEP THREE
Select appropriate methodology and instructional resources: media resources and auxiliary services, aids and modifications for both in-school and home instruction.
Audio tapes of classes
Books on tape
Class note takers
Computer programs
Computers
Correspondence courses
Discussion and study guides
Distant learning programs
Educational Videos
Home education/tutorials
Independent study program
Library study groups
Magazines
Museum kits
On line activities/Email
Phone consult
Reading lists
Reference books
Speaker phone hookup
Study buddies
Teacher home visit
Text books
Trained peer tutors
Tutors (certified teachers)
Video tapes of classes
Other
STEP FOUR
Agree on appropriate evaluation criteria and assessment strategies (portfolio, interviews, tests, projects, journals, reports -- written, oral, etc.)
STEP FIVE
Agree on a communication system for feedback and problem solving -- voice mail, email, etc.
STEP SIX
Plan for re-entry and transitions. The more a student communicates with teachers and classmates, the easier the re-entry.
STEP SEVEN
Facilitate social opportunities as well as academic support. (Study buddies, email, phone pals, pen pals, school websites, bulletin boards, home visits, extra curricular activities).
Provide student with all classroom and school newsletters, notices, memorandum, and program flyers. Provide timely notice of classroom/school events, extracurricular activities, programs, visitors, trips, parties, etc. Encourage participation in special events and extra-curricular activities.
STEP EIGHT
Evaluate and redesign plan to meet student's changing needs.
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