Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board creates committee to identify curriculum for students on alternate standards
Summary
The Limestone County Board of Education approved formation of an Alternate Standards Curriculum Adoption Committee to identify instructional materials for students with significant cognitive disabilities; the committee will include teachers and a parent and will follow the district's textbook-adoption procedures.
The Limestone County Board of Education voted to form an Alternate Standards Curriculum Adoption Committee to evaluate and recommend instructional materials for students served under alternate academic standards.
The committee, described in the meeting as including teachers from multiple grade levels who work with students on alternate standards and a parent of a student in a self-contained classroom, will evaluate materials and use evaluation forms and a secret-ballot process similar to regular textbook adoptions. The committee's work is intended to cover a wide range of students, kindergarten through grade 12, and will extend to age 21 for eligible students.
A district staff member leading the item explained the alternate standards pathway is for students who "typically have an IQ of 55 or below" and may have other disabilities; the presentation said those students' standards differ from general education standards and that the district currently relies on bits of state-provided materials, Google Drive resources and a small online program previously used.
Board members and staff discussed that past purchases included an online program called TeachTown about 12 to 13 years ago and that the district's alternate-standards ACAP scores have been "fairly stagnant," a point used to justify seeking more comprehensive curriculum and teacher training. The staff member said the state is considering additional funding for special education and English-learner programs in the upcoming state budget, and the committee's recommendations would be part of future budget planning.
The motion to create the committee passed unanimously; the committee will follow the district's textbook-adoption process in evaluating materials and will present recommendations to the board for approval.
