Project Succeed Seeks Success At Reed School — And Beyond

By Larissa Lytwyn

The Education Connection-sponsored Project Succeed, a special education program providing medically fragile children with an education in a least restrictive environment (LRE), as well as Newtown’s preschool program for both tots with special needs and their non-special-need peers, is making Reed Intermediate School “home” this year.

“Research shows that placement in inclusive programs leads to academic and social gains for both students with disabilities and their peers,” noted Special Education Supervisor Michael Regan.

This past spring, Education Connection was struggling to house its programs in new locations due to exorbitantly rising costs in its location near a Waterbury hospital.

Dr Regan indicated that housing the Education Connection-sponsored Project Succeed in Newtown, at an annual cost of $159,405 for a two-year contract, was the most economically feasible.

Tuition would be deducted because Education Connection would be paying an annual rental fee of $30,701.

In addition, under state jurisdiction, the $277,356 per student costs would qualify for an excess cost grant that would allow the district to deduct $139,4213.

Dr Regan estimated that if Newtown attempted to create its own LRE program for medically fragile students, the cost, including $7,000 in supplies and equipment that would otherwise have been provided by Education Connection, would be $275,119.

The other option would be to operate Project Succeed in a non-Newtown location at a cost of about $198,135 for tuition and transportation, without the benefit of a rent fee deductible.

Education Connection currently serves eight to ten students in its Project Succeed program, three of which are Newtown residents.

For optimal educational benefit, Dr Regan said, Education Connection strives to maintain a maximum number of ten students in the program.

They will be occupying two classrooms in Reed this fall.

“The Reed location has a lot of open space and windows for our students,” Dr Regan said. “In its former location, the room was small and dark — far from an optimal environment for any student, never mind ones with these levels of needs.”

Of course, the newly built Reed school also offers plenty of handicapped access.

“This is definitely a wonderful opportunity for Education Connection and for Newtown,” said Dr Regan.

Education Connection personnel will remain exclusively in charge of Project Succeed, transporting and teaching the program’s students.

Frequently Moved Preschool Enjoys Plush New Home — For Now

The Newtown preschool, formerly known as PROBE, follows a “reverse mainstream” model in which special needs-students are matched with non-special-needs peers.

Dr Regan said the preschool could be “essential” for positive childhood development.

“It’s indicated that high numbers of [developmentally delayed] students’ improvement is so successful,” he said, “that their need for inclusion in future [special education] programs is significantly decreased, or even eliminated. This program works.”

Evidence of its success is indicative in its numbers; Dr Regan said that the program already has a long waiting list. Currently, the program involves around 75 students.

A portion of these students only uses the speech therapy part of the program. With these early speech problems corrected, they are far less likely to have additional special needs in the future.

“Last year, we made great effort to identify children with special needs,” said Dr Regan, explaining that the search was in conjunction with the No Child Left Behind Act’s “Child Find” element.

“There is a belief that identifying these issues early can decrease the student’s need for special education later,” he explained.

Dr Regan said that the special education department has successfully identified increasing numbers of special needs students over the past several months.

There is also an effort, he said, of the department involving parents more deeply in understanding their children’s special education needs.

“We are in the process of partnering with the AJ Papinikou Center at the University of Connecticut for a project known as Families As Partners,” said Dr Regan. “It involves a series of initiatives that helps families become better trained and knowledgeable about their children’s specific needs. We are very excited about it.”

While he said he was very pleased with the preschool’s one-year location in Reed, he said he is already looking “down the road” for other potential homes in the future.

The number of students continues to increase; over the past few years, the preschool has been housed at Middle Gate and other town elementary schools.

Space was often limited.

Adding to the difficulties were massive state cuts this past year to public-funded preschool programs under former governor John G. Rowland, said Dr Regan.

But the special education supervisor is optimistic.

“Reed is an excellent facility and we are happy to be there,” he said. “But it is only a temporary solution. However, I am confident that we will be able to find a viable future arrangement for the [preschool] program.”