CHOICES PROGRAM Finding Your Future A proposal for

CHOICES PROGRAM “Finding Your Future” A proposal for giving students CHOICES for their future

LOOKING AT THE 2013/14 HIGH SCHOOL NUMBERS § § Number of CI Students - 18 Number of ASD Students - 14 Number of LD Students - 147 Total Students who could be involved in program: 179 total Students (Not including OHI)

LOOKING INSIDE THE NUMBERS § Reading Levels - Students functioning between a Pre-primer and same-grade level equivalent according to the KTEA-II § § CI Student Classes: Pre-primer to English 10 Mathematic Levels - Students functioning between 1 st grade to same-grade equivalent according to the KTEA-II § CI Student Classes: 1 st grade to Geometry

LOGISTICS • • One additional teacher (Upper CI) Two teachers Total (One Upper CI/LD/ASD and one Lower CI/LD/ASD) One job coach (Two total Para’s for programs) Pilot with 4 -5 Students Using businesses we already have relationship with and gaining more (Post-High Program) = Lots of forms to sign Built-in Transition Course A replacement for MMC classes for CI Students One big CHOICE to make: “Are we maximizing Student Success and Independence in Transition? ”

OPTIONS CURRENTLY OFFERED THROUGH LCS Complete 4 Years of High School MMC Diploma College Workforce Certificate of Attendance Referral to Post-High

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR LAPEER? § § § Students either receive a Diploma, drop-out, or receive Certificate of Attendance and referral to Post-High School program Students lack of options create a lack of hope Speaking to students they feel unprepared for the world after high school. Students are required to take classes that may not benefit their needs just to satisfy the MMC Some students will not receive a diploma because they can’t pass one class (Algebra II)

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DIPLOMA AND A CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE? § Diploma § § Opportunities for Employment Feeling of Success Able to check the box on any job application Admission to college § Certificate of Attendance § § Continuing School through Post-High Program Unemployed Collecting SSI Checks Lost purpose for academics

PROPOSED OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS Diploma through Personal Curriculum Certificates of Attendance College Vocational Program Post-High Referral Workforce Part-time Workforce

WHAT IS A PERSONAL CURRICULUM? § § § Individualized plan that is done with the IEP and EDP that addresses specifically the students future through current needs. This allows the student to earn a high school diploma Can replace pieces of the MMC with personalized plan for diploma

WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS LCS EXPECTS TO RECEIVE A PERSONAL CURRICULUM? -Currently don’t have any minimum requirements - LCS doesn’t have a model or a baseline for it either

CHOICES PROGRAM Ø Creating Ø Hope with Ø Occupational and Ø Individual Ø Curriculum through Ø Educational Ø Supports

WHAT IS THE CHOICES WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCE? • • CHOICES is a class designed to help students learn and practice job skills. Business owners throughout the Lapeer area participate by providing worksites where on-the-job training can take place. Students learn job related attitudes and skills in the classroom and are then able to practice and use that training on supervised jobsites during their education at the high school. Can replace classes required for MMC Curriculum

HOW DOES THIS HELP LAPEER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS? Additional enrollment through our unique program Equal opportunities for students of diverse learning abilities Creating more CHOICES for our students Developing future contributors to society A more favorable view of LCS in the community and ISD

BENEFITS TO CHOICES CLASS Benefits to Student Typically earn higher wages than non WBL students Clarify career goals Prepare for full‐time employment Use state‐of‐the art techniques and equipment Apply classroom theory to a realistic work setting Develop professional relationships to broaden employment options

BENEFITS TO CHOICES CLASS Benefits to Employer Provide source for future workers who have learned first‐hand about your business Promote communication between school and community Screen students for part‐time employment and possible removal from the program. Contribute to the enrichment of education and community partnerships Connect school‐based and work‐based training Have access to reliable, motivated, and skilled individuals

BENEFITS TO CHOICES CLASS Benefits to School and District Offer the student access to equipment not available at school Develop a shared relationship with the business world Improve placement and employment rate of graduates Make the school more relevant to the needs of the students Encourage greater community support

WHAT WILL THE NEW TEACHER DO? § § Become expert in developing personal curriculum’s and be able to write them to adhere to Michigan State Laws. Manage job placements and teach transition skills LRC, Co-Teach and Academic Support depending on the trimester and needs for the school A new position will be necessary because caseload will become unmanageable with amount of students in addition to legal knowledge of a personal curriculum

How many students are we able to help with this? - According to our numbers we currently have 178 students in 811 th grade with a label of ASD, CI, or LD not including the OHI students - Almont is a smaller district running this program and they currently have 60 students on IEP’s - Using the same ratio we would be able to identify 12 students right off the bat who would be able to receive a diploma through a PC -Of those 12, six would pilot for WBL – CHOICES Experience - Also, in speaking to teacher’s at both Lapeer East and West, there are many students who are just getting by in Algebra II or other classes, who could benefit from a Personal Curriculum

HOW DOES IT HELP OUR LOWER CI STUDENTS? Ability to schedule with greater ease to ensure LINKS for ALL Students Allows students to grow and learn on their own without interference from those socially and academically superior Less time together in groups bigger than 20 students More individual attention for students who need it most

LCS BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT BELIEFS § § § § § Every student is important Education is a key that opens opportunities for every person Challenging expectations result in greater achievement and success A safe, respectful, and positive learning environment A school culture that nurtures a life-long love of learning A commitment to continuous improvement Being in a dynamic organization in a competitive and ever-changing world Student success requires effort and commitment from themselves, other students, family, school staff, and the entire community A successful school district is dependent upon qualified and dedicated staff who are valued and supported

LCS BOARD OF EDUCATION Mission Statement • Lapeer Community Schools is a dynamic community organization embracing our students with a quality learning environment, developing independent and confident learners for the future Vision Statement C H O I C E S • Excellence in all we do for our students, our schools and our community through • Continuous improvement • Diligent effort; and • Innovative design

WHY SHOULD WE PILOT THE PROGRAM NEXT YEAR? Over-crowding in the CI classroom due to increased academic rigor from the State of Michigan Give students hope who otherwise see school as a waste of time A great addition to “Lapeer High School” after we have done this on a smaller level first Can we really in good conscience allow another student come through our district and not receive a diploma because of academic difficulty in one area?