Futures Report Summary
Stonington Public Schools

Recommendations and Implications

2010-2011

Last year, the leadership of the Stonington Public Schools commissioned a comprehensive review of special services in the Stonington Schools. The group that conducted this review was Futures Education, an organization that looks globally at how a school system can most effectively and efficiently provide special services to their students. The report examined the special services in Stonington in terms of both educational services and financial resources.

The report’s recommendations included:

• To further our in-district inclusive practices for students
• To ensure the Least Restrictive Environment for students
• To evaluate the use of paraprofessionals in the district and use certified staff when possible
• To continue the creation of supports that both support students in our district
  (as oppose to out district placements) and are fiscally responsible

The FUTURES study resulted in implications for the work of the Special Services Department in Stonington. These implications included:

• Meetings held with building leadership to identify known budgetary needs prior to the budget creation instead
  of on the typical time schedule (after the budget had been created)
• Principals were asked to focus on needs to create inclusive schools and co-teaching relationships
• Guidelines for paraprofessional use were established and needs were determined
• Work was done to create an in-district transition program to support our students in
  Stonington instead of sending them to costly outplacements 

Through this work, reallocations of monies allowed the Special Services Department to better program for students
in more fiscally responsible ways.  Some of these budgetary implications included:

• A clear determination of the supports needed for individual students and classrooms
• A realization of a reduction of 257 paraprofessional hours district-wide that equals $111,024
• A reallocation of monies to hire 2.5 certified staff members to support co-teaching models and inclusive
  practice where supports are brought into the students’ classrooms benefitting all students
• The creation of the Community Classroom supports our student in-district that saves $163, 558

Futures Education (initialized) Special Education Clinical and Educational Analysis For Stonington Public Schools Powerpoint Presentation

Futures Education (initialized) Special Education Clinical and Educational Analysis For Stonington Public Schools