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OVERVIEW

CS Partners has exceptional strength in this area.  Chuck Stockwell was a Director of Special Education in the traditional system for 16 years and we employ a full time Supervisor of Special Education.  Mr. Stockwell works closely with MAPSA to assist all PSAs in Michigan to meet their special education obligations, and is the co-author of the recently published MAPSA position statement on special education.  We have a strong commitment to preventing learning failure and to providing appropriate services to students with handicaps.

CS Partners believes that the focus should always be on preventing learning failure whenever possible. The Presidents Commission Report on Special Education, published two years ago, reported that 80% of students in the U.S. identified as learning disabled had no other problem except their failure to learn to read.  Many students can overcome their learning failure and many more can be prevented from failing by doing the right things in kindergarten through third grade.  We have outlined several of those methods in previous sections.  A comprehensive screening of all students – leading to more intensive assessment of students with specific skill deficits is a more appropriate way to approach special education than the traditional practice of waiting for students to fail and then trying to label them for special education services. In many cases, we can identify students at risk of failure or those just beginning to fail, and we will be able to correct or prevent academic failure.  This is better for the student and much more cost effective in the long run for the school.  Students who continue to fail even with intervention can be identified and appropriate practices can be implemented easily.  By using this system, students will be given the special help and accommodations they need.

One of the schools we currently manage just received a promising practices dissemination grant to demonstrate in twoother schools our specialized program that connects student screening to specific short term remediation procedures.  The results of the screening and special interventions are managed through a Teacher Support Team process that provides all teachers with information and support for students who are at risk of failure.

In addition to our prevention efforts, we are informed and keep our schools in full compliance with all state and federal rules for special education and file all the appropriate reports.