The New York State Education Department's (NYSED) Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) had initiated a Special Education Quality Assurance Focused Review in Fort Hamilton High School during the 2006 - 2007 school year. The purpose of the review was to assess the school's compliance with federal and state laws and regulations governing the education of students with disabilities as well as its ability to meet key performance indicators identified by the State Education Department related to the percentage of students with disabilities earning a Regents or local diploma.
The review was conducted by VESID's Special Education Quality Assurance office in conjunction with personnel from the NYC Department of Education. The activities involved a review of school records of selected students with disabilities, interviews with selected administrators, teachers and students, and classroom visitations. Selected parents will be invited to participate in a Parent Forum.
A summary of the findings for the 2007 – 2008 school year is as follows:
The status for 2006 – 2007 was as follows. 15 students out of 29 (Self-contained 15:1 and CTT 12:1) graduated with a local or Regents diploma for the 2006 -2007 school year. The other 14 received IEP diplomas. (51.7 %) In targeting the graduation rate for 2007 – 2008, our goal was to increase the number of graduates receiving a local or Regents diploma by June 2008. As a result of our efforts, there were a total of 53 SETSS, Self-Contained and CTT graduates for the 2007 – 2008 school year: 3 students received a Regents diploma, and 26 received a Local diploma. There were also an additional 23 students who received IEP diplomas and were transitioned into post-secondary programs. The total graduation rate was 53.06 %, which is an increase of 1.36 % over the previous year. Specifics are indicated in the chart below:
|
Year |
Regents Diploma |
Local Diploma |
IEP Diploma |
Total |
|
6/2007 |
0 |
11 |
11 |
22 |
|
1/2008 |
1 (SETSS) |
3 SETSS SC = 9 |
2 |
12 |
|
6/2008 |
3 (2 SETSS-1CTT) |
26 (10 SETSS - 3 CTT- 13 ISS) |
24 (1SETSS – 2 CTT – 21 ISS) |
53 |
In addition, based on the past performance percentages of previous years, we needed to improve the passing percentage of special education students passing the Living Environment Regents. Our goal for the quality improvement plan for the 2007 - 2008 school y ear, was to achieve a 5 % passing increase in the performance of students with disabilities on the Living Environment Regents/Science exam. The actual status of our annual goal as of June 2008 was as follows: The results of the Living Environment Regents for students with disabilities (Self-Contained and CTT) indicated an increase of 16.2% in the passing percentage from 11.1% in June 2007 to 27.3 % in June 2008.
In concluding the Quality Review, we have met the state’s requirements in improving our performance in the specific areas mentioned above. Further information may be obtained by contacting VESID's Special Education Quality Assurance office and /or your local regional office.