FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

KUA is dedicated to meeting the various needs of our students. The following highlights some of the programs providing the best opportunities for students with special needs to thrive.

Annual child find notification services for students with special needs

Are you concerned about your child’s development? Do you feel your child has significant learning, speech/language, physical or behavioral problems that interfere with his/her classroom performance? Medford School District 549C wants to find and evaluate the skills of children under age 21 living within its district boundaries who have serious physical, vision, hearing, speech/language, learning or emotional problems so appropriate educational services may be provided for them. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please contact the school office or the district Student Services Office at 541-842-3628.

504 Plans

504 plans are formal plans that schools develop to give students with disabilities the support and resources they need to be academically successful. These plans prevent discrimination and protect the rights of kids with disabilities at school. They’re covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which is a civil rights law. Students must be diagnosed by a doctor or mental health professional with a medical diagnosis of a qualifying disability. These plans aren’t part of special education, so they don’t provide individualized instruction, like IEPs do; however, the purpose of 504 plans is to give kids with disabilities access to the same education their classmates are getting. One way 504 plans do that is through accommodations, like extended time on tests or the ability to leave the classroom for short breaks. ​If you feel your child could benefit from a 504 plan or may qualify for one, please contact KUA Vice Principal Emmanuel Balan at emmanuel.balan@kuaoregon.org

Educational resource program

Students having an identified disability may be referred to receive academic instruction and/or behavioral assistance provided by the educational resource teacher. Students in this program are formally evaluated and then placed on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) developed cooperatively between the parents and teachers. If parents suspect their child may have special academic needs, they may contact the principal or classroom teacher to have their child considered by the special education team.

Intervention for student success

Students experiencing difficulty with reading at grade level or who are not meeting state standards may be provided with instructional interventions to help them be successful. These interventions may occur in the regular classroom or as a part of the school’s pullout Double Dose and/or Early Reading Intervention program. Since success in reading is critical to academic success, students may miss other classroom instruction during this intervention time, but will not be held responsible for the content they miss as a result of the intervention.

Speech and language screening

Specialists are available at each school in Medford School District 549C. The specialists will screen students at the request of parents and/or teachers at any time throughout the school year. Speech/language screening takes 3 to 5 minutes and is used to determine whether further testing is needed. To request that your child be screened, contact the school office or speech/language specialist at your child’s school.

Talented and Gifted

KUA supports the identified special educational needs of our students through our Special Education program. This program also includes support for the Talented and Gifted.

KUA’s Talented and Gifted program is not a pullout program. KUA does not pull students out of their classes to receive enrichment. While the afterschool program sponsored by Kids Unlimited offers opportunities for advanced learning during the enrichment block, Kids Unlimited does not provide specialized education support during the afterschool program.

KUA teachers will be the managers of the TAG plans. KUA teachers create and implement the Personalized Education Plans. PEPs will be reviewed, explained and agreed upon at the beginning of the school year with the family.

TAG coordinator

This position ensures the student has:

  • An appropriate Personalized Education Plan for the current year
  • The teachers have the support they need to provide the student with the proper enrichment in the classroom
  • Students who might need to be tested for TAG receive testing
  • Ensures all paperwork is turned into the Medford School District to ensure TAG students get the services needed

Screening for all students occurs in first grade with nominations available from parents and teachers of kindergarten students and continues throughout a student’s career until data indicates a student should no longer be considered.

Contact the Medford school district TAG coordinator, Hunter Emery, at hunter.emery@medford.k12.or.us

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS & MIGRANT PROGRAMS

English Language Learner (ELL) Program

Mission Statement- “To foster the talents and interests of a community of life-long learners through a meaningful education that challenges students to reach their unlimited potential.”

Goals for English Language Learner Program

  • Identify students that are Limited English Proficient (LEP) and determine their English proficiency level. Annually assess student progress in English language development.
  • Provide English Language Learners (ELL) with specific focused instruction in English Language Development (ELD) to ensure ELLs demonstrate mastery in English in listening, speaking, reading and writing. LEP students are expected to progress through the levels of English proficiency as described by ODE. Guidelines for the district ELD program are to:
  • Teach English with a focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing
    Group students by proficiency level (up to two levels may be combined)
  • Follow a scope and sequence of language forms and functions
  • Provide sheltered instruction to ensure that students can participate meaningfully in mainstream classroom and make progress toward state standards. LEP students are expected to meet the same AYP targets as those set by the state for all students.
  • Assist ELLs in the acculturation process
  • Provide opportunities for parent involvement and increase participation in school events
  • Anticipate and respond appropriately to changing demographics

Educational Approach
Kids Unlimited Academy uses a variety of research-based approaches for educating its ELL population, depending upon both the age of the students and the level of English proficiency. For English Language Development (ELD) instruction, KUA uses ELD Pullout (elementary) and ELD Class Period (secondary). All KUA teachers are trained in SIOP (Sheltered Instruction) and our ELD department is trained in Guided Language Acquisition Device (GLAD). These approaches all have a strong research base and fall under the descriptors provided by Oregon Department of Education.

Contact ELD teachers at:
Yolanda Ortega – yortega@kuaoregon.org
Jaqueline Rangel – jaqueline.rangel@kuaoregon.org
Elaina Rich – elaina.rich@kuaoregon.org

Migrant Programs

Migrant programs are available to qualify migrant students in the Medford School District 549C through the Southern Oregon Education Service District. The programs are designed to support students in meeting challenging academic Reading and Mathematics standards. Migrant staff also link families to community support services as needed. To find out more about this service please contact the Southern Oregon Education Service District at 541-776-8520 or http://www.soesd.k12.or.us/page.asp?navid=516. When funding is available, KUA provides after-school tutoring and summer programs for migrant students.

Questions about Migrant Programs at KUA can be directed to Lupita Vargas, lvargas@kuaoregon.org

TITLE I DESIGNATION

Eight of Medford’s elementary schools, including KUA, qualify as Title I schools by having more than a large percentage of their students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Each Title I school develops an annual plan for using federal grant money to benefit all children with the goal of improving achievement in low income schools. Funding may be used for hiring additional personnel, training of all staff members, instructional materials or equipment for all teachers as well as programs for developing parent involvement. Parents may request information regarding the highly qualified status of their child’s teacher. Title I staff may be involved with assisting a classroom teacher or may work with students in smaller groups, depending on the needs of individual students or classes. Title I dollars are distributed to individual districts based on each district’s census poverty count by Oregon Department of Education and may not supplant the general fund.

CLICK HERE to view our Verification of Teacher Qualifications

Contact the Title I coordinator at david.thygeson@kuaoregon.org