As reported in the August issue of The New Falcon Herald, the Falcon School District 49 Special Education Advisory Committee is working with Dr. Christi Kasa from the special education department at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs on a pilot project to include students with special needs into the general student population.Kasa will initiate training in September and go ìfull speedî in January,î said Steve Axford, director of special services.For now, Axford said the department is developing a strategic plan for the implementation of the project. ìWeíre working on best practices, co-teaching, collaboration and including students with special needs into the general population; really, any child that has special considerations in terms of differentiation of instruction,î he said.Another pilot project under way will introduce new technology to students with special needs. Kathlynn Jackson, special education specialist, is heading up a committee to develop policies regarding the project.ìThe committee will be a planning committee for a pilot use of iPads for special needs students,î Jackson said. ìIt sounds simple, but itís not. There are five or six big issues that we need to look at. The committee will also look at what buildings to pilot the program in, what students get iPads ñ a lot of those markers that we look at when weíre launching a pilot.îìThe improvements in the technology have left us with so much work to do in that area in making it more accessible to students, but weíre getting there,î Axford said.
