The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) of Cranston is comprised of parents, educators and administrators of the Cranston Public Schools. It is a state mandated organization that is overseen by RISEAC, a division of the Rhode Island Department of Education.

In a district where the cost of special education fluctuates daily – as does the number of students receiving special educational services – it is close to impossible to pinpoint an exact cost for a given school year, must less a day, week or month.

Cranston has a very transient student population, with children moving in and out of the district on a daily basis. Children come into the district with an Individualized Educational Plan, or IEP, which is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services. These additional services cost money, for every district in every state in the country.

According to Executive Director of Pupil Personnel Services Michele Simpson, “Cranston currently has 1,556 – and growing – special education students, which is approximately 14 percent receiving services. There are approximately 50 percent of students in preschool through grade six, 15 percent in the middle schools and 35 percent at the high schools. Cranston has placed 108 students out of district, including those at the Horton building.”

The membership of SEAC is made up of a majority that must be parents of students with disabilities, an individual with a disability, a pubic school administrator, a special education teacher, a general education teacher and other members of the community at the discretion of the committee and school board. Issues and concerns raised by SEAC are reported to the district and School Committee.

“Our RISEAC rep [Ed Angilly, SEAC vice chairperson] can also bring issues to RISEAC,” said chairperson Dannelle Littleton.

Littleton clarified the role and purpose of SEAC and its influence in the district.

“We offer support, guidance and information for parents who have children with an IEP or going through the process of obtaining one. We keep up to date on regulations and laws that are passed on the state and federal level,” she said.

The group opened its recent meeting with a proclamation that was received from Governor Lincoln Chafee’s office. SEAC member Suzanne Arena, an advocate for dyslexia awareness and education, worked diligently to get October recognized as Dyslexia Month in Rhode Island.

Littleton gave information about the State Parent Call Center (222-8999), which allows parents who have issues or concerns to call and get help. She also informed people about the SEAC link on the school system’s website, www.cpsed.net. The district administration has initiated a Facebook page for SEAC so they could easily post important information for parents.

“We’ve had really good luck with this page. Lots of positive feedback,” Littleton said.

One new aspect of the page is the ability to post agendas of upcoming meetings and the minutes from meetings past. The major goal that the group this year will be focusing on is tracking compliance with the findings from the school support visit.

“We will work with the school committee and administration to help parents navigate the special education system better,” Littleton said.

The school support visit was done in May 2013, and results were released to the public in May 2014. Lisa Abbott, the district’s acting director of early childhood, gave an update of what had gone on in the district over the summer.

“We have 42 new hires district-wide, with 11 new special education teachers. We now have a bilingual school psychologist at the elementary level and a speech language pathologist and two school social workers, as well as 10 new teacher assistants,” she said.

The district will start the PARCC assessments this school year. The Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) will take place from March 16 through April 10, while the end-of-year/end-of-course assessment (EOY/EOC) will occur from May 4 to May 29. RIDE will be providing training for administrators and teachers over the next two months.

Last year, RIDE coordinated outreach events led by Common Core Ambassadors to help parents and communities understand what the Common Core State Standards and the new PARCC assessments mean for students and classrooms, as well as how the Common Core prepares students for college and for challenging careers. RIDE also developed materials and Common Core videos, which are posted at www.ride.ri.gov/Transition-CCSS. The events last year provided a great opportunity for parents and the community to learn more and to ask questions about the Common Core. 

“This year, we are offering a similar opportunity for outreach events about the PARCC assessments. It is important that communities become familiar with the assessment and understand their design and use in Rhode Island. RIDE staff members are available to come to your community to present a program on PARCC, in partnership with you and your team. The full co-presentation with RIDE and LEA staff would expected to take an hour to an hour and a half,” Abbott said.

Abbott also read a list of areas in which professional development is available, such WIAT training, transition life skills and mental health in the classroom.

Angilly gave a report from CEAB (Cranston Education Advisory Board) that Kim Magnelli, principal from Orchard Farms, will be giving a “live” training in the Aspen Family Portal on Nov. 3.

“It will be all inclusive,” he said. “What each user sees, the IEPs, 504s.”

This triggered the discussion of what and how much information is available to substitutes through the Aspen portal.

The district has trained all teachers in the ALICE defense program. There will be training for new students in the district as well as students in kindergarten. Also, they discussed the changes for students going from elementary to middle school to high school.

Littleton also said they will be working on the bylaws.

“We will review and revise as necessary, making sure they are up to date and in compliance,” she said.

RISEAC set three major goals at their Sept. 3 meeting. They are focusing on social/emotional areas, making sure PARCC is set for accommodations and an easier way to organize all the different list servers.

For more information about SEAC visit www.seaccransri.weebly.com. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at Horton School from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.