Lionsgate Academy Charter School is a public charter school focusing educational programming on students with disabilities, specifically autism spectrum disorders. Due to the nature of students the school serves, Lionsgate will use two separate models when looking analyzing a special education teacher’s caseload/ workload and to determine the need for teaching and paraprofessional staff.
Prior to making staffing decisions, the school will consider both caseload of teachers serving students more than 50% of their school day, as well as this workload policy. Please also note that individual IEP needs may play a factor in veering from this analysis. If this is the case, the administrative staff will make the final decision and document the alterations to this analysis.
Caseload Model:
The Caseload model will be used when determining the caseload of a special education teacher, when they serve students who receive special education support 50% or more of their educational day (federal setting 3) per Minn. R. 3525.2340, subp.4(A)(1).
- the maximum number of school-age pupils that may be assigned to a teacher:
(1) for pupils who receive direct special instruction from a teacher 50 percent or more of the instructional day, but less than a full school day:
(a) deaf-blind, autism, developmental cognitive disability: severe-profound range, or severely multiply impaired, three pupils;
(b) deaf-blind, autism, developmental cognitive disability: severe-profound range or severely multiply impaired with one program support assistant, six pupils;
(c) developmental cognitive disability: mild-moderate range or specific learning disabled, 12 pupils;
(d) developmental cognitive disability: mild-moderate range or specific learning disabled with on program support assistant, 15 pupils;
(e) all other disabilities with one program assistant, ten pupils; and
(f) All other disabilities with two program support assistant, 12 pupils.
Workload Model:
The workload model will be used when analyzing the workload of a special education teacher, when they serve students who receive special education support 49% or less of their educational day (federal setting 1 & 2). The disability area primarily served will also be taken into direct consideration in workload analysis.
Areas to determine the workload will consist of:
- Direct and Indirect Minutes on Student IEP’s
- Evaluations and Re-Evaluations that need to be completed in the school year
- Preparation Time as established by agreement/ contract
- Other Due Process Requirements
According to the Autism Society of America, Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees – this is why early diagnosis is so crucial.
Autism is often referred to as a spectrum disorder, meaning that the behavioral symptoms and characteristics can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults can exhibit any combination of behaviors, in any degree of severity. For example, two children, both with a diagnosis of Autistic Disorder, can act very differently from one another, demonstrate different needs and thus may respond to interventions differently.
Due to the historical placement of students with Autism in settings outside the regular classroom, Lionsgate Academy recognizes the need to keep workload totals lower than the average recommended teacher effective workload for special education teachers.
n Data Source: MN Dept. of Education/Special Education-Unduplicated Child Count Data http://education.state.mn.us
According to the workload considerations for Effective Special Education from MDE, a suggested caseload for high school students is between 17 and 21.
When the workload exceeds 16, the school will reserve the right to add additional paraprofessional staff. When the workload exceeds 18 with 1 paraprofessional staff, the school will hire additional teaching staff.
Direct and Indirect Minutes on Student IEP’s
Direct Service as defined by Minnesota Rule 3525.0200, subp.2b
….special education services provided by a teacher or a related service professional when the service are related to instruction, including cooperative teaching.
Indirect Service as defined by Minnesota Rule 3525.0200, subp. 8c
….on-going progress reviews; cooperative planning; consultation; demonstration teaching; modification and adaptation of the environment, curriculum, materials, or equipment; and direct contact with the student to monitor and observe. Indirect services may be provided by a teacher or related service professional to another general education teacher, special education teacher, related service professional, paraprofessional, support staff, parents, and public and non-public agencies to the extent that the services are written in a student’s IEP….
To calculate this area, add up the direct and indirect minutes provided by the special education teacher as described on each student’s IEP and turn into hours/ per year. For example:
| Student | Total direct and indirect minutes per week from IEP | Hours per week
(min/60) |
Hours per year
(hours per wk x wks per year) 2.5 hours x 32 weeks |
| John S | 150 min. | 2.5 hours | 80 hours |
| Susie K | 200 min. | 3.3 hours | 105.6 hours |
| Kelly K | 150 min. | 2.5 hours | 80 hours |
| Sam L | 150 min. | 2.5 hours | 80 hours |
| Peter J | 200 min. | 3.3 hours | 105.6 hours |
| Sue W | 175 min. | 2.9 hours | 93.3 hours |
| John M | 150 min. | 2.5 hours | 80 hours |
| Jennifer H | 200 min. | 3.3 hours | 105.6 hours |
| Ashley T | 150 min. | 2.5 hours | 80 hours |
| Colin T | 150 min. | 2.5 hours | 80 hours |
| Seth R | 200 min. | 3.3 hours | 105.6 hours |
| Adam N | 175 min. | 2.9 hours | 93.3 hours |
| Total | 1089 hours | ||
Evaluations and Re-Evaluations
A special education evaluation and re-evaluation typically averages approximately six hours per student. The six hours consist of evaluation planning/ meeting, testing, observations, gathering of student records, managing the outside agencies testing, report writing, and evaluation results meeting.
Lionsgate will calculate this area, multiple the total number of evaluations and re-evaluations by eight hours. For example: 5 evaluations and re-evaluations x 6 hours = 30 hours
Preparation Time
Preparation time (prep) is the allotted time agreed upon during hiring. This time may consist of, but not limited to: curriculum modification, grading, data collection, preparing materials for teachers or paraprofessional, developing methods of instruction, and researching assistive technology, adaptations, and interventions.
To calculate this area, multiply the amount of prep time by the contract days. For example: one hour of prep for 180 contracted days = 180 hours.
Other Due Process Requirements
This time may consist of, but not limited to: meetings for IEP’s and periodic reviews, development and writing of the IEP, and the overall “paperwork” requirements. This time typically averages to about two hours per student.
To calculate this area, multiple the number of students on the teacher’s caseload by two hours. For example: 12 students x 2 hours = 24 hours.
Teacher workload will be determined using the following procedures:
1. First you must determine the total hours in a school year by looking at the teacher contracted days (180 days) and multiply that by the contracted hours per day (7.5 hours). For example 180 days x 7.5 hours per day = 1350 hours contracted per year.
Then add up “Areas to Determine Workload” as described above. For Example:
| Direct/ Indirect Total | Evaluation/ Re-evaluation Total | Other Due Process Totals | Total Minutes per week | Instructional Minutes per Week
2 staffX1500 |
Instructional Minutes per week
3staffX1550 |
| 12675
min/week |
180 min/week | 110
min/week |
12965 min/week | 3000 min/week | 4500 min/week |
| 4.32 + 15 =19.32 | 2.8 + 15=17.8 |
To calculate the workload, the total direct/indirect service minutes per week are added to the evaluation/re-evaluation and other due process totals per week. This total is then divided by the instructional minutes per week X 2 for 2 full-time teachers (14205/3100= workload ratio of 4.64 per teacher + number of files managed).
Note:
If the IEP team determines that a student is in need of a one to one paraprofessional, the direct and indirect minutes that the paraprofessional provides would not be included in this formula. The classroom/caseload ratio of students to teachers will remain at 1 teacher/1EA per every 10-15 students or a ratio of 2:5. The school will work to maintain this ratio.
If the student receives related services (OT, Speech, PT, social work etc.), the direct and indirect minutes that the paraprofessional provides would not be included in this formula.
A charter school may have a combination of federal settings from level I to III. In such a case, the administrative team may use a combination of both models to determine the appropriate case/ workload for a special education teacher. Such exceptions will be documented.
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ADOPTED BY THE BOARD ON: May 25th, 2010
REVISED BY THE BOARD ON:
