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District reports strong summer programming, outlines extended‑school‑year and special‑education services
Summary
Student support director Michelle Kelleher told the board the district ran multiple summer programs — including extended school year (ESY), Whiz Kids and a new middle‑school launch — serving elementary, middle and high school students with targeted supports; transportation and staffing were provided and the ALC designation will allow targeted services next year.
Student support director Michelle Kelleher told the Alexandria Public School District Board that district summer programming ran across age groups this year, with particular emphasis on special education services and targeted behavioral supports.
Kelleher said early‑childhood special education operated nine days in June with two licensed teachers, two paraprofessionals and 18 students, while birth‑to‑2 services continued year‑round. Extended school year services included 14 licensed teachers, one BCBA and 16 paraprofessionals at the elementary level serving 88 students; middle school ESY had two licensed teachers, three paraprofessionals and 11 students; and high‑school supports included three licensed teachers and 17 students, with two teachers focused on high‑needs students and one on credit recovery.
The report highlighted the district’s new Area Learning Center (ALC) status in Alexandria, with Bridgeway high‑school summer services enrolling 57 students — 11 from outside the district — and a middle‑school launch program designed to connect students to next‑year teachers through activities such as quilting, biking and kayaking. Whiz Kids was the highest‑attended elementary program, with 95 kindergarten through fifth‑grade students across 11 days and five staff. Kelleher said about 76% of students recommended for ESY attended consistently, and that the district provided transportation for ESY and for the Challenge program where grants allowed.
Kelleher explained the Summer Challenge program as part of the district’s MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) behavioral work: students are recommended by school staff (social workers, interventionists, regular‑education teachers) for executive‑function and social‑emotional skill building. She said the district rotated staff across days and that the Challenge program was funded by a two‑year Mental Health Collaborative grant with potential to reapply.
Board members asked about substitute‑staff availability, unpaid summer unemployment benefits affecting para availability and whether free district tutoring was offered this year; Kelleher said the district did not run a free tutoring program this summer, some private tutoring occurred, and ALC eligibility should increase targeted service options next year. She also described follow‑up assessments for students identified with dyslexia characteristics (CTOP and Woodcock‑Johnson components, RAN measures and phonemic assessments) and noted identification rates had declined as tier‑1 instruction improved.
The board did not take further action on the summer report; Kelleher said some data (for example, CAPT screener results for grades 4–12) will be available next year after the required assessments are administered.
