1999 SCHOOL PROFILE

Frank Elementary School
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Type of School: Elementary (K-5)
Location: Kenosha: located between Milwaukee and Chicago, 3rd largest district in WI
Size: typically 3 classes at each grade level
Number of enrolled students is increasing at a rapid rate
Student Population: School with lowest student SES in the district
More than 50% non-white: Black, Hispanic, and Asian
Highest number of students with disabilities compared to the other neighborhood elementary schools in the district
Principal: Gordon Hess­Respected leader among the teachers & parents
Served Frank Elementary for approximately 10 years.
*Strong supporter for Inclusive Education
Teachers: A mix of new and experienced teachers in the building
Several teachers have assumed leadership roles in the school
The majority of teachers are Caucasian

EMPOWER CITIZENS IN A DEMOCRACY:
Has a school site-based council that includes parents; council has quite a bit of decision-making power. Some decisions are still made from the district office.

INCLUDE ALL:
99% of the students with disabilities are included in general education classes
1% of the students (those experiencing severe emotional disturbance) may spend part of their day in a resource room with a special education teacher.
Special education teachers have no classrooms or offices. Each grade level has a special education teacher assigned to the grade level. Special education teachers have a desk or space in one of the three general education classrooms. Exceptions to this include one resource room used periodically for some students with emotional disturbance and a speech room.
Students with disabilities are proportionately assigned to each of the general education classrooms. (i.e., there is no clustering of students with disabilities in general education classrooms)
Among many students with disabilities and others who are academically at-risk, the most interesting students with disabilities who are included are:
1. A primary age student who has multiple disabilities, no speech, physical disabilities and moderate/severe mental retardation
2. A primary age student with autism; no speech; learning to use assistive technology to communicate.
3. An upper elementary grade student with moderate mental retardation; very limited speech and language.
4. A Second grade student with moderate mental retardation, cerebral palsy, very limited speech and language, visual impairment
5. Three second grade students with mild/moderate mental retardation and limited language.

TEACH & ADAPT FOR DIVERSITY:
During the 1998/99 school year, primary grade teachers were using a literature based reading approach (which included a strong "Making Words" component).
During the 1999/2000 school year, the district required that the Direct Instruction Model for Reading/Language Arts instruction is being adopted and implemented on a school-wide basis.
Using the Everyday Math series.
Appropriate accommodations for students with and without disabilities as made by both general and special education teachers.
No specialized or different curricula are used for students with disabilities. All student participate the general education curriculum with adaptations and modifications.

BUILD COMMUNITY & SUPPORT LEARNING:
Team teaching between general education teachers and special education teachers. Teams have been working collaboratively to team teach for more than 5 years.
Students with autism, those with cognitive or learning disabilities, students who have visual or hearing impairments, many with emotional disturbance and others with behavioral challenges are supported by the classroom teacher, special education teacher and/or paraprofessionals within the general education classroom.

PARTNERING:
Frank Elementary employs two full-time parents- a parent liaison and a parent coordinator. Both are neighborhood parents. One parent has children currently attending Frank Elementary and the other parent's children recently completed their elementary education at Frank Elementary. Both parents were invited and attended the three-day Summer Institutes on Whole Schooling & Inclusive Education (summers 1998, 1999) with full financial and moral support provided by the school.
Many parents and grandparents work and volunteer throughout the building. There are several options for parents to get paid or receive some form of reimbursement (based on their choosing) for their time and efforts.