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UPDATED: District Message Regarding Transition Coordinators and Gifted Services
Feb. 27, 2020 (Updated) -- Columbus City Schools Superintendent/CEO Dr. Talisa Dixon and Columbus Education Association (CEA) President John Coneglio released a joint statement on Transition Coordinators Thursday evening. Additionally, the District provided details regarding the expansion of its Gifted Services program for the 2020-21 school year.
Superintendent/CEO Dr. Talisa Dixon
On Wednesday, I met with the Transition Coordinators and the leadership of the Columbus Education Association (CEA). As I listened to the stories of the important work they do with our students, their compassion, care, and commitment to our students and their success was clear. My administrative team and I share this passion for all students. With this common vision in mind, I determined that changing the role of our Transition Coordinators was not the right decision. Therefore, the Transition Coordinator program and the 26 Transition Coordinator positions will remain as they are currently.
I thank President John Coneglio and the leadership and members of the Columbus Education Association for their advocacy for the students that we all serve. The collaboration of the Columbus Education Association and Columbus City Schools shows that together we can make decisions that are in the best interest of our students and the community we serve.
As we look towards the future of our District and the academic programming we provide to our students, I have recommended that we create a task force comprised of a broad group of stakeholders to evaluate our special education program as a whole and decide as a community how we can best serve our students.
In regards to our Gifted Services programming, I have recommended that we move forward with a new, expanded plan instead of the earlier proposed plan. The additional staff that we will deploy to our schools will allow us to significantly increase the number of students who receive gifted services. I am committed to providing equitable opportunities to ALL students in Columbus City Schools, and I believe this will help achieve that goal.
CEA President John Coneglio
I would like to thank Dr. Dixon for meeting with the Transition Coordinators. The Superintendent’s decision to keep the Transition Coordinator program as is allows our members to continue to do what they do best — serve our students and their families. I appreciate that Dr. Dixon and the Columbus Education Association were able to come to a mutual understanding and agreement on how to best serve our students. It is not easy to reverse course once a decision has been made, and I applaud her willingness to make this tough decision.
While the District and the Columbus Education Association may disagree from time to time on the best way to serve our students, we all want what is best for our students and their families. We have been and will remain committed to working collaboratively to achieve this goal.
Feb. 25, 2020 -- Ensuring high-quality special education programs and targeted student services is one of the highest priorities in Columbus City Schools. Last week, in accordance with Article 211 of the CEA agreement, we began the annual process to align our certificated staffing as we prepare for the 2020-21 school year with a focus on the District’s mission and academic priorities.
First, we apologize to all stakeholders for the lack of clear and timely communication about changes impacting our special education and gifted services programming. We hope that the following information addresses the questions and concerns that the District has received over the past few days.
We respect and value the work of all our teachers and staff, especially those that work with our students with special needs.
This new organizational structure in no way is meant to minimize the work that our Transition Coordinators and Gifted Resource Specialists have accomplished with our students. These are veteran teachers who are valuable to our district. In many cases, they are uniquely qualified to serve in the new roles that we expect will provide even more specialized support to our students.
Transition Coordinators
Columbus City Schools is not eliminating this service for our special needs students. Our Academic Services team reduced the number of Transition Coordinators in order to expand our special education support to schools and classrooms in each region. This expansion will assure higher quality special education programs and targeted services that are aligned to the IEPs of more students.
Our Academic Services team restructured the role of the Transition Coordinator to provide more focused service to our students with very specialized needs due to exceptionalities of more significant cognitive delay and/or physical impairment.
Will the District have Transition Coordinators, and which student groups will they serve?
Yes, the District will continue to have Transition Coordinators, who will work with high school students in low incidence populations who have very specialized needs due to cognitive delay and/or physical impairment. The Career Center will have a Transition Coordinator specifically assigned to assist students.
How can families be assured that transition services for their special needs students will not be compromised?
The Academic Services Department has identified approximately 300 students with very specialized needs due to exceptionalities of more significant cognitive delay and/or physical impairment. By assigning Transition Coordinators to these students, we are confident that all their transition needs will be met to the same level of quality as they have in the past.
What will be different about the new Transition Coordinator position?
The new job description focuses on providing the same transition services that are currently provided for our approximately 300 low incidence high school students. These Transition Coordinators will no longer be expected to provide services to high incidence students -- either in middle school or high school. This shift will enable Transition Coordinators to focus exclusively on the needs of these low incidence students.
How does the role of the Transition Coordinator differ from the role of the assigned special education teacher, who is also referred to as a case manager?
The Transition Coordinator will support the special education teacher/case manager for students in low incidence populations. They will assist in implementing the goals and related activities recorded in section five of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Who will work with students who receive specialized educational services that are not in low incidence populations?
For many students in high incidence populations, section five of the IEP should look similar to the transitioning activities that are provided to regular education students with additional supports as needed.
For high incidence populations, the case manager will continue to write and implement this section as an integral part of the IEP process.
For students in low incidence populations, who may require additional supports, the transition coordinators will assist in developing and implementing these activities.
Gifted Services
Columbus City Schools is not eliminating or reducing the services and enrichment it provides to gifted students. The District is restructuring its staffing in order to provide more direct services to students in the classroom.
The current Gifted Resource Specialist positions were reposted as Gifted Intervention Specialist positions. These new positions will work directly with students to provide gifted services and targeted enrichment. Two of the Gifted Resource Specialist positions will remain to provide district-level support to schools.
Additionally, as part of the 2016 operating levy request, another 23 Gifted Intervention Specialist positions have been created for the 2020-21 school year.
This new structure will increase our equity across the District by offering services and enrichment to more students, including students in Kindergarten through second grade who are currently not serviced.
Columbus Gifted Academy will continue to serve students in the same manner it currently does. Students who are currently receiving gifted services in other schools across the District will continue to receive the same services.
How will gifted services be delivered in the 2020-2021 school year?
The District will have licensed Gifted Intervention Specialists providing enrichment services to more students in alignment with Ohio’s Gifted Operating Standards.
The staffing changes and the additional teachers to be hired will allow us to offer services to more students. Currently, the District does not offer gifted services to most students in Kindergarten through second grade.
What grades will be serviced?
The District will increase services to students at the primary grade levels in particular while maintaining enrichment opportunities to students already receiving services. We are also examining ways to offer more opportunities for students to participate in a portfolio of options at the secondary level, which includes but is not limited to, honors courses, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment opportunities.
Where will services occur?
Our goal is to increase access and equity in regard to where gifted services will be offered. The District will maintain services at current locations and expand to additional buildings.
Is Columbus Gifted Academy impacted by any changes to the gifted services model?
No, Columbus Gifted Academy will continue to serve students in the same manner it currently does.
Will services comply with the requirements set forth by the Ohio Department of Education?
Yes, all gifted services provided by the District will comply with the requirements outlined by Ohio’s Gifted Operating Standards.
What will happen to all the enrichment events/academic options currently organized by the Gifted Resource Specialists?
The District will continue to have two district-level Gifted Resource Specialist positions that will assist in offering district activities and administering assessments as needed.
How will this plan improve the quality of education in the District?
The District’s goal for any changes to the service model is to provide increased access to gifted services to our identified students throughout the District. The Academic Services team is working with a national consultant, who has worked in Ohio as well, to examine the quality of our programming and to develop a strong delivery model that provides students with enrichment opportunities that enhance their current educational experience.