By Jonathan Weaver, The Weston Democrat
WESTON, W.Va. — Following a visit from the Office of Federal Programs and Support through the state Department of Education, Lewis County Schools administrators and staff will be addressing special education during the next two months.
Special Education Director Carol Clay said officials visited Roanoke Elementary School, Robert L. Bland Middle School and Lewis County High School in October. They toured classrooms and evaluated over 30 personalized student plans.
“They did find great things at all schools, as well as some things they recommended to us and findings,” Clay said. “It helped me get a really great snapshot of our school district and what I can do to help make it better.”
Officials recommended training on more specialized and differentiated instruction; the investigation of additional supports for long-term substitutes as well as for first- and second-year teachers; and more classroom engagement and management strategies for teachers.
“I think we’ve seen some of these things in a lot of school districts,” Clay said. “We’re required to turn in documentation for anything that they found that they want a correction on. It’s a paperwork and documentation audit at this point.”
Individual building principals and case managers are working on “procedural errors,” according to Clay. Meanwhile, WV Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center staffers at the Autism Training Center at Marshall University in Huntington have also been contacted to help support the school district. They’ll provide positive behavior interventions and supports findings. Corrections must be made by March.
