LaSalle/Putnam
County EducationAL
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
SECTION
1 - SPECIAL EDUCATIONal
1:10 Special Educational Alliance Legal Status
1:12 Administrative Authority Responsibility
1:14 Authorization for L.E.A.S.E. to Administer the Circuit Breaker School Project
1:14 AP1 Administrative Procedure - Circuit Breaker School Philosophy/Program Overview/Maximum Class Size
1:14 AP2 Administrative
Procedure – Keys Program Overview
1:14 AP3 Circuit Breaker School Tuition Payments
1:20 AP1 Administrative Procedure - Checklist for Handling Intergovernmental Agreement Requests
1:30 L.E.A.S.E. Mission, Goals and Administrative Philosophy
1:40 District Membership
1:42 Member District Obligations
LaSalle/Putnam
County Educational
The Constitution of Illinois requires the Illinois General Assembly to provide a system of free schools, wherein all children of the State may have access to an education. The General Assembly has implemented this constitutional mandate through the creation of joint agreements of various types for the purpose of providing special education services to children with disabilities. The LaSalle/Putnam County Educational Alliance for Special Education, herein referred to as L.E.A.S.E., is governed by such mandates.
Special Education programs and/or services shall be developed in accordance with Title 23: Chapter 1: Subchapter 1: Part 26, Special Education, as promulgated under the constitutional authority of the State of Illinois and the Illinois State Governing Bodies of Education.
Joint Agreement Status - Articles of Joint
Agreement
The LaSalle/Putnam County Educational Alliance for Special Education, L.E.A.S.E., shall be organized under Articles of Agreement which shall serve to identify the Agency as a joint agreement organized under The School Code of Illinois.
The Articles of Agreement initially drafted by the participating members of L.E.A.S.E. following affirmation of the membership in the joint agreement in 1968-69 shall be reviewed periodically by the L.E.A.S.E. Alliance Council as needs indicate.
The "Resolution Agreeing to Membership in L.E.A.S.E. and Its By-Law" shall be signed by the participating members in L.E.A.S.E. The L.E.A.S.E. Constitution/By-Laws shall be reviewed as necessary by the L.E.A.S.E. Alliance Council and may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Alliance Council.
LEGAL REF.: 105 ILCS 5/3-15.14
105 ILCS 5/10-22.31
Constitution of the
LaSalle/Putnam County Educational
CROSS REF.:
ADOPTED: September 11, 2008
LaSalle/Putnam
County Educational
Special education cooperatives have an option of operating in one of two separate formats, either an administrative agent format or a governing board format. For those cooperatives utilizing an "administrative agent" format, the administrative agent board is "designated . . . to act as fiscal and legal agent for the districts that are parties to the joint agreement". In this regard, it is the universal opinion, also adhered to by the Illinois State Board of Education, that the administrative agent of a cooperative, whether regional or local, has no discretion or authority but to implement, or "rubber stamp" the directions of the "districts that are parties to the joint agreement". These directions are most commonly given to the administrative agent through formal action by an operating committee such as an Executive board or Executive committee.
The status as an "agent" as indicated in the School Code has a significant legal meaning. Any agent is subject to the direction or control of its principal. Therefore, an administrative agent is an agent and only an agent, and has no authority whatsoever but to legally implement the directions of its principal, in this case districts that are parties to the L.E.A.S.E. Cooperative joint agreement document.
Administrative Agent - Term of Appointment
The administrative agent of L.E.A.S.E. shall initially be appointed for the period of July 1 through June 30. The Executive Committee shall notify the Illinois State Board of Education of the appointment. After the first year appointment, the administrative agent will be automatically renewed as of the date of the regularly scheduled May Executive Committee meeting.
In the event that the administrative agent wishes to withdraw from the appointment, notification of the withdrawal shall be submitted to the Executive Director by December 1 of the preceding year.
Administrative Agent – Duties
1. Serve as the administrative agent for the Cooperative.
2. Employ administrative staff and other qualified persons upon the approval of the L.E.A.S.E. Executive Committee and/or Alliance Council.
3. Deposit all monies received in approved financial institutions.
4. Pay all bills verified for payment as indicated on the bill list provided to and approved by the L.E.A.S.E. Executive Committee.
5. Take action within a 45 day period on all recommendations presented by the L.E.A.S.E. Executive Committee and/or the L.E.A.S.E. Alliance Council.
LEGAL REF.: 105 ILCS 5/10-22.31
Constitution of the LaSalle/Putnam County Educational Alliance for Special Education, Article 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 9.4.
CROSS REF.:
ADOPTED: September 11, 2008
LaSalle/Putnam
County Educational
The L.E.A.S.E. Cooperative is authorized and directed to administer the school for students with social/emotional disorders known as Circuit Breaker School.
LEGAL REF.:
CROSS REF.:
ADOPTED: September 11, 2008
LaSalle/Putnam County
Educational
School Name
The school
established by the LaSalle County Educational Alliance for Special Education to
serve Behavior Disordered adolescents shall be called
School Philosophy
We believe that
the Circuit Breaker School should be organized so that students have an
opportunity to develop their fullest potential. We also recognize that no organization should
be so rigid that new organizational patterns are difficult to implement. The organization must be able to adapt to the
changing needs of the community, the educational system in which it exists and
the student.
Program Narrative-Overview
The purpose of
the Circuit Breaker School program is to provide appropriate educational and
support services to students identified as Behavior Disordered who exhibit
disorders which cannot be appropriately or effectively served in existing
public school special education classes.
In the continuum
of educational placements, we find a range from regular public school placement
(least restrictive) to private/public residential facilities (most
restrictive). Public school special
education classes for behavior disordered/emotionally disturbed are generally
resource room or self-contained classroom arrangements. If a student exhibits serious/severe
behavioral or emotional disorders, sometimes these needs cannot be met in a
public school special education program.
The Circuit Breaker School program would afford appropriate educational
programs and services for seriously involved students that would be less
"restrictive" than residential placement.
The educational
program will include a total school behavioral management program with students
earning increased rewards with appropriate behavior. The academic program will focus upon reducing
the discrepancy between expected and actual performance. Additional components of the overall program
will include pre-vocational, vocational, recreation and independent living
skills.
The enrollment
will be limited whenever possible to 11 students per classroom in order to
maintain a pupil to teacher and instructional aide ratio of 3 staff members to
11 students. In the event that it is
necessary to exceed the suggested CBS maximum enrollment, an IEP team comprised
of home district representatives and CBS staff, including the principal, shall
consider the emotional/behavioral needs of the student with regard to the
existing CBS work load. Consideration
shall be given to the need to adjust the Circuit Breaker staffing pattern to
accommodate this additional service need, and to maintain compliance with existing
Other social
service agencies may be involved as appropriate for each student. Specific services to be provided will be
specified in each student's I.E.P. as determined by team consensus.
This program may
also serve as an interim service for behavior disordered students awaiting
placement in public/private residential facilities.
Behavior Management
The Circuit Breaker
School provides a setting whereby the dual goals of teaching appropriate
social/emotional behavior and increasing academic performance can be
satisfied. The program revolves around a
highly structured school setting based upon a comprehensive behavior management
system. In this system, privileges are
earned as each student demonstrates acceptable behavior. Accordingly, privileges are withdrawn if
behavior becomes unacceptable.
Academic Performance
Increased
academic performance plays a major role in Circuit Breaker School. Appropriate, individualized instruction is
one vehicle which can be employed in enhancing each student's self-esteem and
confidence. Coupled with an
individualized behavior management program, instruction will be in regular school
subjects with an emphasis on life-skills, P.E. and pre-vocational. Students may obtain the skills necessary
either for re-entry into the public school special education/regular education
class or to obtain credits toward high school graduation from their high school
of residence.
Home/Community Relations
Home/school
relations are an important aspect of any special education program. This is particularly true of programs for
seriously behaviorally disordered/emotionally disturbed adolescents. Each student served by the Circuit Breaker
School will be assigned to a Social Worker and/or School Psychologist. These individuals will be responsible for
home visitations, referral of family members to outside agencies for services
(where appropriate), regularly scheduled group and individual counseling
sessions with each student, meetings with each student's parents in order to
implement the home portion of the individualized behavior management program,
consultation with teachers and other duties as deemed necessary by
L.E.A.S.E./C.B.S. administration.
In summary, the
Circuit Breaker School utilizes a multifaceted approach to providing
educational programs to seriously involved behaviorally, emotionally disturbed
students. Equal weight is given to (1)
behavior management; (2) academic performance; (3) home/community
relations. The major portions of the
services are provided by L.E.A.S.E. with additional involvement of community,
county and state agencies dependent upon individual student needs. The ultimate goal of Circuit Breaker School
is to provide each student with appropriate special education intervention in
order to enable them to successfully return to their home school or
successfully complete high school graduation requirements and be prepared for
adult employment.
The C.B.S.
program behavioral change component is largely based upon the C.B.S. Behavior
Management Plan which utilizes an eclectic, positive reinforcement and
consistent intervention approach to address student behavior problems. This written plan is to be made available to
persons within the L.E.A.S.E. organization, C.B.S. students and/or C.B.S.
parents upon request or as need dictates.
LaSalle/Putnam County Educational
Mission
Statement
The
mission of the Pre-Primary Keys Program is to provide a high quality education
for students with autism who require intensive instructional supports to
succeed in the education environment. A variety of research based methodologies
are utilized to maximize learning based on individual student needs. The staff
of the Pre-Primary Keys Program is dedicated to providing students with
opportunities to interact with typically developing peers through inclusive
general education activities and experiences when appropriate. In addition, the
staff willingly shares skills and expertise with student’s home district staff
and family members. The overall goal is to provide appropriate services that
will enable a student to reach his/her individual maximum potential and,
whenever possible, return to a less restrictive educational setting, preferably
in the home school.
Philosophy
•
The philosophy of the Pre-Primary Keys Program is that children with autism
have incredible potential.
•
When a student is placed in the Pre-Primary Keys Program, the student has been
identified as requiring intensive instructional supports in a more specialized
setting.
•
Additionally, this educational program should produce outcomes that are
functional, socially valuable, and acceptable. Positive relationships between
home and school are critical to the success of the child’s education.
•
The Pre-Primary Keys Program will build and maintain a collaborative work ethic
that is necessary to ensure that each child has an opportunity to achieve at
his or her individual potential.
Program
Description
The
Pre-Primary Keys Program was established for the purpose of providing intensive
instructional supports for students with autism. It is designed for students
who require a more specialized setting than is available in his/her home
school. The “keys” of support in this program are the development of
communication, self help, social, motor, and cognitive skills.
The
classroom maintains a highly structured environment; low student/teacher ratio;
both small group and individualized instruction; and utilizes a variety of
research based methodologies. Students may receive: Speech and Language
Services, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy or other related services as
indicated on the current Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Pre-academic
and academic instruction aligned to Illinois State standards is provided. When
appropriate, students are given opportunities to interact with and model peers
in the general education environment during the school day. Each aspect of the
program represents a continuum of services.
LaSalle/Putnam County Educational
Alliance for Special Education (L.E.A.S.E.) 1:14AP3
Circuit Breaker
School, the Vision Itinerant Program, and the Keys Programs are operated as
centralized programs by the L.E.A.S.E. Cooperative.
Tuition billings
are to be mailed twice per year. First
semester billings will be mailed during the preceding summer and will be due in
early fall. The second semester billing will
be mailed just prior to the beginning of the second semester and will be due
prior to March 31st of the second semester being billed.
LaSalle/Putnam County Educational
Alliance for Special Education (L.E.A.S.E.) 1:14AP4
The
LaSalle/Putnam Educational Alliance for Special Education may allow access to
centralized special education programs to students that reside outside of the
member district boundaries with the approval of the director. Each request will be evaluated to determine
the appropriateness of the potential placement.
Consideration will be given to the impact such a placement would have on
the availability of the program to member districts.
Tuition
rates will be calculated based on the actual cost of the program. Federal/State funds are only utilized to
offset tuition costs for Alliance member districts and their respective
students.
LaSalle/Putnam County
Educational
LEGAL REF.: Intergovernmental Cooperation Act
CROSS REF.:
ADOPTED: September 11, 2008
LaSalle/Putnam
County Educational
The Director completes this checklist whenever the
Acknowledge the receipt of the request to the sender.
Confer with the Executive Committee Chairperson as to when to put the request on an open meeting agenda as a discussion and/or action item.
Inform the request’s sender approximately when the request will be presented to the Executive Committee.
Investigate the factual context and the impact of granting or not granting the request.
Prepare an evaluation of the request and a recommendation that takes into account the Executive Committee’s priority in the allocating resources, including funds, time, personnel, and facilities, is the transmission of knowledge and culture through which students learn in areas necessary to their continuing development and entry into the world of work.
Include the evaluation and recommendation in the appropriate Executive Committee meeting packet.
LaSalle/Putnam County
Educational
The Mission of L.E.A.S.E. is to promote quality educational
programming for the benefit of students with disabilities by providing support services
to all schools in LaSalle and
The goals of L.E.A.S.E. shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
To provide services to all appropriately identified children with disabilities from L.E.A.S.E. districts referred to access the L.E.A.S.E. comprehensive plan of service delivery.
To ensure that the public is aware of the needs and rights of children with disabilities.
To provide an effective child-find program to ensure the identification of students with disabilities within the local district.
To ensure that all identified children with disabilities referred to L.E.A.S.E. have a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.
To ensure that all special education programs provided throughout L.E.A.S.E. are of high quality and educationally sound.
To provide a comprehensive personnel in-service training program.
Administrative Philosophy
Recognizing a need for a cooperative effort of all school districts in Illinois to join together in order to fulfill the intent of Article 14 and Article 10-22.31 of the School Code of Illinois, a special education joint agreement was formed.
The intent of Article 14 of the School Code of Illinois is to assure that all children, regardless of their disability shall be provided with an educational program which offers them an opportunity to gain an appropriate education.
Those districts which have chosen to join L.E.A.S.E. agree with the intent of the law which provides for special education instructional programs and supportive services. Each district recognizes its individual responsibility to identify children with disabilities and seek appropriate programs and services for them. It is imperative that member districts be willing to freely send and willingly receive students from other districts, so that all children can be served. It is for this purpose of encouraging, developing, operating, and assisting in the operation of special education programs that the L.E.A.S.E. Cooperative was established in the spirit of inter-district cooperation and that a representative governing body was appointed to provide the necessary administrative structure for the operation of the organization.
The L.E.A.S.E. Alliance Council, having representation from all member districts, appoints representatives to the L.E.A.S.E. Executive Committee on the basis of district-type and district-geographic location so that all districts are assured representation.
Members of the Executive Committee represent more than their individual school district's interests, and when the interests of the other districts which they represent are contrary or in conflict with their own district's interests, their actions should be weighed in favor of the majority.
It is in this spirit of cooperation and shared interests and responsibilities that the Executive Committee of L.E.A.S.E. establishes this Operating Policies and Procedures Manual.
LEG. REF.: Constitution of the LaSalle/Putnam
County Educational
CROSS REF.:
ADOPTED: September 11, 2008
LaSalle/Putnam County
Educational
Local school districts located in LaSalle and
Withdrawal and removal from membership in the
District Membership - Voluntary Withdrawal
A district may withdraw membership in L.E.A.S.E. through compliance with existing statutes and the following procedures:
1. The district shall notify the Alliance Council of its intent to withdraw no later than September1 of the year of intended withdrawal.
2. A petition to withdraw shall be filed with the Regional Board of School Trustees having jurisdiction.
3. Final withdrawal of membership shall be acted upon by the Regional Board of School Trustees as provided by law in the Illinois Revised Statutes, Article 7.
4. Termination of membership shall become effective on August 31 of the withdrawal year.
5. Fiscal obligations to L.E.A.S.E. incurred during the district's participation shall be paid within sixty (60) days of final billing by L.E.A.S.E.
6. The district, on withdrawal, shall forfeit its share of the
supplies and equipment owned by the
District Membership - Involuntary Removal
If any district violates any provisions of the Constitution/By-Laws, Illinois Administrative Code, such district may be involuntarily removed from membership in L.E.A.S.E. The L.E.A.S.E. Alliance Council may terminate the participation of a district in L.E.A.S.E. at any time by adhering to the following procedures;
1. Upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the qualified representatives of the Alliance Council, a written notice shall be sent to the district in question specifying in detail the items which the Alliance Council deems sufficient cause to justify removal of the district from L.E.A.S.E. The notification shall specify the period of time in which such items are to be corrected or appropriate steps toward correction are to be taken.
2. Should the district fail to take such steps to the satisfaction of the Alliance Council within the time specified, the Alliance Council shall, upon reasonable notice, call a special meeting. At that time the matter shall be brought before the Alliance Council for hearing and action. No less than ten (10) days before the meeting, a written notice of the time and place of such meeting shall be given to the district, alleged to be in violation of the Constitution/By-Laws and or the Illinois Administrative Code by certified mail, addressed to the superintendent of said district. The district in question shall be permitted to send a representative to the special meeting and to submit reasons why it should not be removed from membership.
3. At the next meeting of the Alliance Council, a two-thirds vote of the qualified representatives of the Alliance Council shall be required to terminate the membership of a district or to restore it to full membership in L.E.A.S.E. Removal from membership shall not relieve the district of any obligations incurred during participation in L.E.A.S.E. Removal of the district's membership shall become effective by no later than July 1 following the date of action by the Alliance Council.
4. The procedure for appeal will include the following options:
a. conference with the L.E.A.S.E. Executive Committee;
b. conference with the L.E.A.S.E. Alliance Council;
c. conference with the "State Advisory Council for the Education of Children with Disabilities"; and
d. conference with the State Superintendent of Education.
5. In all actions described in 1-4 above, the L.E.A.S.E. Executive Committee shall first review the particulars, and recommend to the Alliance Council their opinion as to the action desired based upon the merits of the issue.
LEGAL REF.: 105 ILCS
5/10-22.31
Constitution of the LaSalle/Putnam County Educational
Alliance for Special Education, Article III, Sections 3.4, 3.5.
CROSS REF.:
ADOPTED: September 11, 2008
LaSalle/Putnam
County Educational
Obligation to Follow Policy
L.E.A.S.E. shall develop, with approval of the L.E.A.S.E. Executive Committee, any and all policies necessary to fulfill the obligations of federal and State laws.
Each participating district shall be obligated to comply with all the policies and procedures duly established and submitted as required to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The development of an organizational unit between the districts and L.E.A.S.E. includes certain obligations between the two parties. Each district, by its membership in L.E.A.S.E., acknowledges and assumes the obligations of the policies of L.E.A.S.E. including:
1. Appointing a district board member and the superintendent to serve on the Alliance Council.
2. Providing acceptable physical facilities for L.E.A.S.E. programs and services operated within any member district.
3. Being obligated to participate in the programs and services offered to students with disabilities by L.E.A.S.E.
4. School districts shall be held financially responsible for replacing lost materials on loan to any district staff member from L.E.A.S.E.
LEGAL REF.: 105 ILCS 5/10-22.31
LaSalle/Putnam
County Educational
CROSS REF.:
ADOPTED: September 11, 2008