Three schools in Central Valley district get state recognition for special education programs

Several schools in the Central Valley School District were recently recognized by Washington in the area of excellence in growth for students who receive special education services.

The recognition for the achievement of special education students in the 2018-19 school year comes from the Washington State School Bard, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Schools earning the recognition for improvement in special education include Mica Peak High School and McDonald and Sunrise elementary schools. Only 391 schools throughout the state earned recognition for growth in one or more areas.

Mica Peak Principal Kamiel Youseph said the alternative high school has about 200 students and of those 25 receive special education services and another 50 are in a program designed to transition students from special education to independent living.

Mica Peak appeals to students who find a traditional high school classroom difficult, he said. “We get students from all different groups,” he said. “They come to us seeking something different.”

The school is small enough that there is time to work with each student to reach their educational goals. “At Mica Peak, really, every student has an individualized education plan.”

The high school is continuing to build on its success, Youseph said. “We’ve seen a growing graduation rate,” he said. “Everyone has the opportunity and support to earn credits and pass state testing.”

Scott Krentel, principal at McDonald Elementary, said his school has three classrooms devoted to special education students who come from all over the district. The students have a wide range of physical and mental challenges, he said.

“They’re just very special classrooms for students with special needs,” he said. “Quite a few of these children come from group homes.”

Krentel said it’s his staff that puts in the hard work to make sure every student can succeed even though they’re not always confident. “Sometimes you feel like you’re building a plane as you’re flying,” he said. “I’m just pleased for the staff and students who won this recognition.”

Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Learning and Teaching Terrie VanderWegen said the district has been focusing on meeting the social and emotional needs of all its students in addition to their academic needs. “Focusing on that social/emotional piece has been important,” she said. “Before you address learning you have to meet those basic needs first.”

Youseph said the entire district deserves recognition for the work being done in special education. “It is a collective group,” he said. “There’s a level of support I haven’t seen in my 20 years of education.”

Kent Martin, the assistant superintendent for Secondary Learning and Teaching, said clustering special education students at schools like Mica Peak and McDonald has its advantages.

“You get teachers with special expertise,” he said. “If we just had one or two students sprinkled across a few buildings, it would be difficult to build that expertise.”

Martin said good principals are needed to focus the good work of teachers, but there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to how to make special education work well. There’s no secret formula on how to make it work.

“There’s no magic bullet,” he said.

VanderWegen agreed that it’s the staff that leads the way.

“We just are very proud of the work we are doing,” she said. “It takes strong leaders and strong teachers.”