More than 1 in 5 students in Sterling require special services – Shaw Local

STERLING – The number of students receiving some form of accommodation or other form of special education support at Sterling Public Schools continues to grow, and is now a “significantly large” part of the student body.

Becky Haas, director of Student Services, presented the Board of Education during the March 22 meeting with a summary of the numbers and services her department offers, all of which it has expanded in the past 10 school years.

“Thank you for your support,” Haas told the board members. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to do all of this.

For the current school year, 702 students are receiving support, either through an Individualized Education Plan or an Education Service Plan, known as IEPs or ISPs. This is more than one in five students enrolled in the district.

This number has grown. She said there were 550 students receiving services a decade ago.

Superintendent Tad Everett noted that, noting the comparison, current enrollment is about 450 fewer students than it was in 2012-13, which means the percentage is also higher.

In that decade, the number of teachers engaged in special education rose from 29 to 41.

The number of teachers offering speech-language pathology has increased from five to eight. They are Kali Miles, Julie Penny, Jessica Moreno, Emily Narman, Kelsey Eckel, Tracy Fox, Maureen Marandino and Angela Shaw.

The Bi-County Special Education Cooperative enhances offerings in Carroll and Whiteside counties by providing programming and staffing.

There are now six social workers at Sterling Public Schools: Elisa Heppen at Chaland, Maggie Monnier at Franklin, Sarah Peltier at Sterling High School, Katrina Cornwell at Jefferson, Shelby Melton at Lincoln and Anna Hendricks at Washington.

“Thank you for your support. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to do all of this.”

– Becky Haas, Director of Student Services, Sterling Public Schools

A decade ago, there were two social workers, a part-time occupational therapist, a part-time physical therapist, and the Early Childhood Special Education team.

Today, additions include a full-time certified occupational therapy assistant, three early childhood special education teachers and a full-time speech-language pathologist.

The district also employs 60 special education assistants, a part-time tutor for home-based students and a part-time ISP director for private schools.

Most of the students served—about 617—are in the district’s six schools, though the district is also required to expand its services to other schools.

These include 37 students in private and parochial schools, 27 at Tom’s School in Rock Falls, two at Dolan Learning Center in Durand, 10 in various therapy schools, two at a school for the deaf in Rockford and three at an Illinois school. Deaf in Jacksonville, two in residential settings and two medically restricted.

More than 231 students are eligible for services because of a specific learning disability, and another 126 for a health impairment. Others receiving help are 112 for speech impairment, 97 for developmental delay, 51 for emotional disability, 50 for autism, 19 for intellectual disability, seven for hearing impairment, four for deafness, while three have multiple disabilities and two are visually impaired.

By service, this is broken down as follows: 335 students need speech and language therapy, 142 need social work services, 80 need occupational therapy, 35 physical therapy, nine audiological services, four orthopedic services and three vision services.

Life Skills

Haass also described the successes of 46 students in a life skills program intended for students with intellectual disabilities and/or an autism diagnosis. These students have an IQ of less than 70 and significant deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning.

There are 16 students in high school, 12 in middle school, 10 in grades 3-5 and 8 in K-2.

The life skills curriculum teaches skills to enhance employability and the ability to live independently, and assists with communication and social interactions.

High school students participate in on-campus jobs including paper trail, recycling, shredding, picking up groceries from Kroger, prepping and cleaning at the coffee shop. Community outings on Friday afternoons include opportunities to practice vocational skills as well as physical fitness and social skills.

Haas said there are plans to offer additional programs.

For high school students, this may mean exploring off-campus employment opportunities and accessing independent living settings to exercise daily independence. For middle school students, this can include scheduling work time in the kitchen and scheduling trips to support skill development.