CRS

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Crusader Resource Services Information Page

Janee’ McCrate, CRS Coordinator

janeemccrate@icaba.org

CRS

What is Crusader Resource Services (CRS):

CRS is Immanuel Lutheran Christian Academy’s support program for students in grades kindergarten though twelve to help students reach academic achievement and realize their full potential as students. CRS has two parts. First, students who have have outside evaluations done by a qualified provider or an IEP from a public school can qualify for an Individual Service Plan. Second, students in kindergarten through fifth grade who are identified through reading assessments or inventories can receive direct instruction (one-on-one or small group) to work on specific reading skills. Currently, we do not have a math specialist. While ILCA recognizes that private schools are under no obligation to provide special education programs by law, we do want to work toward bridging the student achievement gap when possible.

We are excited to partner with you in your child’s education! Our vision is truly to provide resources to both parents and students so that they can have the supports needed for academic success in order to grow in confidence that they can achieve the plan God has for them.

Who can receive Crusader Resource Services:

Reading help: Any student in grades kindergarten through fifth can work with the school reading specialist on targeted skills regardless of whether an ISP is in place or not. Elementary students will be assessed early in the school year to help determine students’ reading strengths and areas needing growth.

Parents have the right to waive reading interventions by the school reading specialist if they would prefer to seek outside tutoring. Waivers can be found under “Helpful Resources.” If a student is identified as needing reading interventions, but you, the parent or guardian choose to pursue outside tutoring rather than receiving help during the school day, please provide that information to your student’s teacher.

Individual Service Plan: A student can receive an ISP by one of two ways. First, ISPs are reserved for students who have testing provided by a qualified provider, such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist, that specifically shows how a student’s diagnosis impacts learning and academic achievement. Second, a student who transfers to ILCA from a public school with a valid MEEGS and Individual Education Plan can most likely be placed on an ISP. *Please note: A note from a pediatrician or a primary care physician does not necessarily qualify a child for services regardless of diagnosis. A thorough evaluation detailing how a diagnosis adversely impacts the educational process is necessary to make a determination on classroom modifications and accommodations needed.

Procedures for receiving an Individual Service Plan:

1. Students must have a valid public school IEP, a psychological evaluation, or an educational evaluation. Please turn this information into the front office or directly email a copy to janeemccrate@icaba.org.

  • Because ILCA is not a public school, we do not receive funds to provide testing by a qualified examiner.
  • Pediatricians can often make the best recommendations for testing centers, psychologists, or psychiatrists. Many places do not take insurance, so self-pay is required. If a student is on SoonerCare, True Blue Neighbors and Tulsa Family Development Center may be able to provide testing services at no cost. Students with a tribal enrollment may be able to receive evaluations at no cost through their Tribe. Child Find requires that public schools evaluate any student who is suspected of having a disability at no cost.
  • Please note: It is up to the parent or guardian to pursue outside testing.
  • The waitlists for evaluations can be several months long. If you feel your child may need services, it is a good idea to put your child on a waitlist.

2. After a student has the needed documentation, parents will be contacted by Janee’ McCrate, CRS coordinator, to set up an Eligibility and ISP meeting.

3. An ISP team will consist of the CRS coordinator, an administrator, a parent, and a teacher. If a teacher is not available to attend, they will be asked to provide student feedback prior to the meeting. Students are encouraged to attend, but it is not a requirement. Parents are allowed to bring another individual to the ISP meeting with prior notice and approval.

4. After the Eligibility and ISP meeting, parents will receive a copy of paperwork, and a copy of the ISP will be sent to teachers with a confidentiality notice. Eligibility paperwork and outside testing will not be provided to teachers; however, if parents or guardians would like to share important information with teachers, they can choose to do that individually.

5. An annual ISP meeting will be held each year to review the progress of goals and the success of the ISP.

6. Eligibility meetings will occur every three years. ILCA requests that outside evaluations be updated every three years to provide the school with the most accurate and current information.

*ILCA does not provide ISPs based on behavioral diagnoses.

*ILCA reserves the right to determine if a student’s needs can be accommodated and supported within our current school model. As a student progresses, the needs of the student may change which may necessitate a team determination of best school fit.

What information is on an Individual Service Plan?

  • Student demographics
  • Achievement scores
  • Pertinent diagnoses
  • Teacher observations
  • Services received
  • Classroom modifications and accommodations
  • Team member signatures
  • Annual goals and how they will be measured

Most student goals will be based on grade-level standards to be measured by standardized testing.

Goals will vary case by case.

Beginning this year, students over the age of 14 and in high school will have an additional Transition Service Page

What accommodations and modifications can be added to an Individual Service Plan?

ILCA can provide these accommodations (supports to help students access content) to students on an IEP or Learning Plan depending on diagnosis and team determination:

· Environmental/Learning Procedures

  • Preferential seating (does not always mean at the front of the room- can be in the area best suited for the student)
  • Copy of instructor’s notes to highlight as class takes notes
  • Visual aids to assist in comprehension
  • Use of closed captioning whenever possible to aid in comprehension
  • Headphones to block extraneous noise (parent/guardian provided)
  • Use of weighted materials (parent/guardian provided)
  • Students allowed to stand or use flexible seating when space allowed
  • Previously discussed cues to redirect student
  • Student provided reading aids such as a highlighting tool

· Assignments

  • Simplification and repetition of instructions
  • Extended time by one day for in-class assignments (not projects)
  • Use of audiobooks or teacher read-aloud and audio in textbooks when available

· Testing

  • Repetition and simplification of instructions
  • Extended time on tests, same day
  • Test read aloud
  • Student allowed to ask specific words to be read aloud
  • Paper tests rather than computerized when possible
  • Math- Use of calculator (when calculation is not being tested)
  • No deduction for spelling (unless it is a spelling test) or handwriting
  • Spelling tests given as multiple choice rather than recall
  • Testing in chunks for longer tests
  • Frequent breaks for longer tests

· Direct Instruction for grades K-5

  • Pull-out direct instruction for reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing
  • Immanuel can provide these modifications (changes to actual work) depending on diagnosis:

· Quality over quantity of work (assignments will be the same, but the number of problems/questions will be reduced)

· Shortened memorization work (for instance, 5 sight words a week rather than 10)

· Testing

  • Reduce the number of distractors on multiple choice to 3
  • Word bank
  • Sentence stems for written tests

Outside of ILCA, what are the benefits of an ISP?

· Students can often take their ISP to colleges, universities, or vocational training facilities to receive services during higher education. It is the responsibility of the parent and student to ensure that their school of choice will accept ILCA’s ISP.

· Students may qualify for Department of Rehabilitation Services at the secondary and post-secondary level.

· Because we are not a public school, we have chosen to use the term Individual Service Plan (ISP) rather than Individual Education Plan (IEP.) Public schools do not recognize private school ISPs, and should a family choose to transition back to public schooling, the IEP process will need to start over with the chosen public school.

Helpful Resources: ·

Waiver of reading services for students identified as needing intervention- Click HERE

Lindsey Nicole Henry (LNH) Scholarship- Please contact Stacy Eden or Crystal Royalty at the Oklahoma State Department of Education for specific information regarding updating a student’s MEEGS due to current testing. Lindsey Nicole Henry · For additional school help resources, click HERE