School mentioning self contained class room?

[Anonymous]

So, covid learning has been less than good and our child has definitely behind where the work the class is doing. She has made some gains but is not at grade level currently. Prk-K DD was in a general education class with some push in and pull out supports. (Speech, OT, IEP goals and couple times a month social skill was added in K).
Our school has provided services during covid but zoom has been less than ideal for general education for DD. Special education services had been reasonably productive for zoom classes.
We have ESY and summer camps lined up. The idea of possibly needed self contained next year has been put out there. I am finding this bit frightening and stressed out about it. When self contained was describe to me before it seemed like none of the kids were working towards grade level goals. I don't care so much if DD is always a year behind. If DD is at K math and reading fine.. start there and move the bar forward each term as much as possible. To me if shouldn't mean not working towards moving through the curriculum as much as possible for each student. It shouldn't mean not learning about literacy or science or whatever. DD testing showed strength for math and science so we want to see that grow. I am not saying come hell.or high water my kid will be in general education forever and should be pushed through a regular program.
I also don't want it to be a one way trip with no hope of taking some mainstream classes. I don't want to see it turn into babysitting instead of meaningful progressive learning as much as that tis possible.
And I apologize for offended those who I probably have offended. I don't mean to do that at all. We are new to an Autism diagnosis, coming of a crap year of zoom school, feel like our kid didn't have a chance to excel. And now I am worried about of this putting her in a box of convenience for the school vrs truly giving her the best services & chance at growth possible.

What questions should we be asking about this decision? What services or hybrid/ blended learning would be "best practices"?

What are good things about self contained?
What are different levels of self contained classes?
What are negative things you experienced with self contained?

Should we be enrolling in tutoring thai summer to try and make up for learning loss??
How much can we push back on the school for not being open or providing In-person learning for IEP kids still! I feel like our IB dcps is open maybe we should have dropped our charter and gone back just so DD could be in school, idk.

Privates schools or support programs we should be looking into?

[Anonymous]

What grade? It sounds appropriate to me. I wouldn’t be afraid of it. Inclusion is overrated for kids who are behind and need a lot of support. A spade is a spade. You have to put your ego etc. aside.

[Anonymous]

My son is in a self contained class and he's at or above grade level academically. They get a lot of personalized instruction, teacher attention and support. Don't be afraid of these classrooms. They also work to mainstream the kids.

I will say, I'm in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What grade? It sounds appropriate to me. I wouldn’t be afraid of it. Inclusion is overrated for kids who are behind and need a lot of support. A spade is a spade. You have to put your ego etc. aside.

Wow. It isn't about ego. It is about a kid getting further behind because of covid and services not being all that great over zoom.
It about trying to make sure the school isn't taking the easiest path vrs the best bath for a child. It's about knowing what to ask to make sure whatever classroom or services are the best to move a child forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is in a self contained class and he's at or above grade level academically. They get a lot of personalized instruction, teacher attention and support. Don't be afraid of these classrooms. They also work to mainstream the kids.

I will say, I'm in MD.

What kinds of things should we be asking or looking for in a self contained classroom setting?? What about your child's classroom experience has helped him become more successful?

Do you think MD schools are better at this than DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What grade? It sounds appropriate to me. I wouldn’t be afraid of it. Inclusion is overrated for kids who are behind and need a lot of support. A spade is a spade. You have to put your ego etc. aside.

1st grade if you can call a year of zoom school 1sr grade. Should be going into 2nd in the fall. Debating if we shod repeat 1st or move on with 2nd.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in a self contained classroom that is multi grade. The teacher has no problem differentiating the curriculum if you demonstrate that you need more challenging work. Last year there were 6 kids, 1 teacher and a para. This year there are 4 kids. Since return to school, 2 came back and 2 are virtual. The amount of 1:1 attention my kid gets is unbelievable.

[Anonymous]

You should as if there are opportunities for mainstreaming (such as lunch and specials). You should also confirm that they will be teaching grade-level curriculum.

Other than that, I'd be celebrating. To be offered this without fighting is wonderful. Try to look at it as not a lifetime of being forced into it, but instead a time for your daughter to be able to catch up in a smaller environment.

[Anonymous]

Having worked with a few kids who fell further and further behind in a regular ed class when they could have gotten a lot more individual attention on the same academic lessons in a self contained classroom I would suggest that you give self contained a try. I'm thinking of one kid for whom the process of trying a self contained class took a long time and cost him at least half a year of learning if not more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What grade? It sounds appropriate to me. I wouldn’t be afraid of it. Inclusion is overrated for kids who are behind and need a lot of support. A spade is a spade. You have to put your ego etc. aside.

Wow. It isn't about ego. It is about a kid getting further behind because of covid and services not being all that great over zoom.
It about trying to make sure the school isn't taking the easiest path vrs the best bath for a child. It's about knowing what to ask to make sure whatever classroom or services are the best to move a child forward.

You say scared and terrified etc., but your child is not learning. What does your child need. Is it possible to get the kind of support she needs in a gen Ed classroom. This isn’t ego as you’re thinking about if, just your own preconceived ideas and ideals. Those need to be set aside. It isn’t working for her.

[Anonymous]

How many hours of specialized instruction is currently in her iep? You can’t go from 6 hours to 20 hours immediately (or at least you shouldn’t).

Anyway, I think Maryland has better programs and more options for self contained. It’s very different in the district and most kids just continue to fall further and further behind their same age peers. The graduation rate for students with IEPs in self contained classrooms in DCPS is ATROCIOUS. It really warrants an investigation.

[Anonymous]

Can you hold her back a year? I'd do that first, before anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you hold her back a year? I'd do that first, before anything else.

This won’t get her the support she needs.

[Anonymous]

OP, what exactly did the school say? She should be reevaluated if they’re going to change her placement, that will give you more information to work with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many hours of specialized instruction is currently in her iep? You can’t go from 6 hours to 20 hours immediately (or at least you shouldn’t).

Anyway, I think Maryland has better programs and more options for self contained. It’s very different in the district and most kids just continue to fall further and further behind their same age peers. The graduation rate for students with IEPs in self contained classrooms in DCPS is ATROCIOUS. It really warrants an investigation.

Well what is on the IEP for In-person vrs what we are doing during zoom school is different. Before school closed we had 4.5 hours of general education support half push in and half pull out services (including reading & math intervention). Speech 45 minutes x2 per week and OT 45minutes x1 time per week, social skills 60 minutes a month. But thai was all Kindergarten switch is a very different work load than 1st grade. Computer zoom learning hasn't been great and the ability to sit for zoom school has been minimal. We are getting most support services but not really any general education.
We discussed some self contained for zoom school but I was told they only work on IEP goals not grade level work. Which to me didn't make sense given DD has specific services already working towards those specific goals.
So, for those of you jumping on me about all this please understand. I was told at least during distance learning self contained wasn't addressing or attempting grade level work at all.