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Special Edition: The Special Services Newsletter for November 2024

Posted Date: 11/27/24 (1:33 PM)
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Special Edition
The Monroe Township Public Schools Special Services Newsletter
November 25, 2024
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7-10 Split and Transforming Inclusive Education
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At a recent workshop, one of the panelists shared this video. It's a great analogy for considering how to apply an inclusive mindset. In order to score big, you have to aim for the most challenging pins to hit! Worth a watch.

Special education: not a place, a service!
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Man completing a survey
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SEPAG Parent Survey Results
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On October 16th, 2024, the first Special Education Parent Advisory Group of the 2024-25 School Year met in the Media Center at Williamstown High School. In addition to listening to guest speakers discuss transition services, parents completed a survey to help inform the group's future direction.
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Survey Data
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What topics would you like to see covered at future SEPAG meetings?
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Responses to this question included:
  • IEPs
  • Behavioral Support and intervention
  • Transition planning
  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Inclusive Practices
  • ...and more
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Survey Data
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What format do you prefer for SEPAG meetings?
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Regarding the format for SEPAG Meetings, stakeholders preferred hybrid meetings by a slight majority. Informal discussions, support groups, workshops with guest speakers, and in-person meetings were the most popular responses.
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Most convenient time of day to attend SEPAG meetings
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What time of day is most convenient for you to attend SEPAG meetings?
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Evenings emerged as the most popular time to attend SEPAG meetings (from 6 pm to 8 pm).
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How often should we have SEPAG meetings?
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How often would you like SEPAG meetings to be held?
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Stakeholders broadly preferred quarterly meetings for SEPAG gathering, with "as needed" coming in second.
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Communication Preferences
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What type of communication do you prefer to receive reminders and updates about SEPAG meetings?
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Email and text messages represent the most preferred way to communicate with stakeholders about upcoming meetings. Interestingly, phone calls were the third least-popular mode of communication.
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SEPAG Attendance Barriers
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What barriers make attendance difficult?
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Childcare, time conflicts, and work schedule represented the biggest barriers to attending MTPS SEPAG meetings.
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Survey Data
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Other Questions
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  • Four (4) respondents agreed to provide assistance with future SEPAG meetings
  • Topics for future meetings suggested included reverse inclusion, district information, parent-led topics, mental health assistance, parenting classes, and others
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OSEP Graphic
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Speaking of Surveys...Indicator 8!
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Speaking of surveys, the New Jersey Department of Education has included Monroe Township Public Schools in the first cohort of school districts to participate in a survey that will be delivered directly to parents and guardians in June of 2025. This survey is intended to measure parental involvement in the special education process.

Some details:
  • Links to surveys will be send directly to parents and guardians
  • One survey per child
  • The survey is federal (nation-wide)
  • Spanish forms will be available
  • Other languages can be requested
  • Students attending out-of-district schools will be included in the survey

More information will be posted to ParentSquare regarding the survey.
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