Voorhees Township trustees hear special education plan, staff training and program expansions

Dr. Allegria and Miss Ross presented the Voorhees Township School District’s special education annual plan and a summary of 2024–25 work, telling the board the district is expanding in‑district capacity and targeted supports rather than outsourcing services.

The presentation summarized policy and operational items for the coming year, including a published special education handbook and a new instructional‑associate handbook, expanded parent engagement through the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (CPAC/CPAD), and targeted staff training (SPIRE for resource teachers, STAR curriculum training for self‑contained autism teachers, de‑escalation/behavior management and support for instructional associates to pursue Registered Behavior Technician certification).

Miss Ross said the district is increasing targeted adult support and data use: “Our IAs are going to be using an online data system, which is going to give us real‑time data, make it easy to graph,” and that quarterly meetings will be held to review adult‑support progress with parents and teachers. The presenters said those data will be used to update goals and retrain staff when necessary.

Administrators described program expansions intended to address gaps identified in state and local assessments. The district is increasing executive‑functioning supports at Voorhees Middle School so incoming sixth graders receive training on time management, calendar use and study skills. Miss Ross described continuing and expanding the WIN period for second grade as an intervention/enrichment block aligned to the ELA curriculum and progress monitoring tools; she said the district has seen a reduction in Child Study Team referrals for second grade during the WIN pilot.

The presentation included results from alternate assessments and performance targets: the district reported meeting the state target for least restrictive environment (LRE) and noted increases in fourth‑grade ELA and math proficiency over the past two years, but officials said eighth‑grade ELA and math proficiency and some subgroup gaps remain areas for work. Presenters gave current caseload figures: approximately 456 students receive special education services, about 16 referrals are pending, and roughly 160 students receive speech‑only services.

Staffing and program notes included creation of an additional autism class at Signal Hill, hiring of an additional BCBA and speech‑language pathologist, and a vendor transition for RBT support from Great Bright Minds to Amazing Transformation. Presenters said the district is intentionally building capacity so more supports can be provided by district instructional associates and classroom staff.

Why it matters: The presentation lays out district plans to address learning‑and‑behavior needs through internal staff development, targeted interventions, and parent engagement. Administrators said these moves are intended to increase inclusion opportunities and to reduce referral pressure on special education systems.

The board did not take any policy action during the presentation itself; the item was informational and followed by questions from trustees.