The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Specialized services pact considered by U-46 board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 will vote on a $69,251 contract with Easterseals of Metropolitan Chicago at its upcoming meeting on Monday, Oct. 24.
  The item was presented at the Oct. 3 meeting. If approved, it would be paid for with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act grant funds.
  The contract is for specialized student services providing coaching supports related to autism.
  “Over the past 20 years, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has rapidly become the fastest growing neurodevelopmental disability,” the proposal states. “During this timeframe, the national prevalence rate of Autism has grown from 1 in 150 children to 1 in 44. What started as a program with two classrooms (2006) has grown to one that encompasses over 30 classrooms spread across the U-46 district.”
  The proposal added: “Instructional coaching as an approach for professional development has been shown to increase teacher attitude and student learning. Instructional coaching provides Evidence-Based Practices to increase classroom management, content planning, instruction, and assessment for learning. Instructional coaching is conducted with individual teachers, administrators, and support staff in their own classrooms and buildings. This type of coaching differs from other types of coaching because Easterseals’ instructional coaching will deliver hands-on focused in-services, workshops, and direct coaching/consulting services geared towards supporting teachers, administrators, and support staff on the implementation of Evidence-Based Practices for students with autism and related disorders.”
  The supports will included 37 sessions (about four to five times a month from October through May) from a specialist coach which will take place at 10 schools in the district. It will also include three professional development sessions up to six hours.