Integrated Services
1/10/25
Dear Parents,
I wanted to give you an update to some of the things that have been happening with the Integrated Services program. We hired Brittany Donaldson as the Assistant SPED Director. Brittany has a wealth of knowledge in literacy, tiers of instruction, and instructional coaching. I am excited to have her so that we have more support for students and teachers. We also hired Becky Knowles to assist with standardized assessments and Student Success Plans (SSP) at the Secondary Campus. This has been a big job for me and has taken a lot of my time. Becky will be a huge support! It is our intention that every secondary student leaves with a well written and holistic plan to provide to their next school so they are supported from Day 1.
Next, I have heard the questions asked, “What is Integrated Services? What am I paying for? What type of student do these services serve?”
Integrated Services provides explicit instruction and/or accommodations on skill deficits for students who have been identified as having a disability. “Explicit instruction” is instruction providing one clearly defined skill, with explicit and clear language, and scaffolding support. The instruction begins with teacher demonstration (I Do), followed by supported practice (We do), then independent practice (You Do). This instruction is provided by our Interventionists and Therapists. Additionally, the classroom environment and Montessori trained staff provide models and practice opportunities to help the student generalize skills to be able to independently engage and progress in the general curriculum.
Integrated Service fees are required for students who have been identified as having a disability AND the disability impacts their education or the education of others. The fee helps to pay the salaries of our Integrated Services staff (Interventionists and Therapists). The Integrated Service fee covers one-third of the total cost, while the Sorenson Legacy Foundation subsidizes the remaining two-thirds.
Characteristics of a student with a disability who thrives at Elizabeth Academy may have low cognitive function and mild/moderate adaptive skills. These students progress with minimal prompting (i.e. visual, verbal, or modeling) when completing activities of daily living. These students are aware of their surroundings allowing them to benefit from their peer models.
I plan to continually add to the weekly email that the Administration sends out, so be on the lookout!
Sincerely,
Lindsay Baird
SPED Director
Resources:
Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship: The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship (CSOS) was created by the Utah State Legislature to provide educational choices for students with disabilities. The CSOS is managed by Children’s First Education Fund. You can find more information on their website: https://cfe-fund.org/parent/
