March 21, 2016       

Dear Parents and Community Members:

We are pleased to present you with the Annual Education Report (AER), which provides key information on the 2014-15 educational progress for the Lyle A. Torrant Center. The AER addresses the complex reporting information required by federal and state laws. The school’s report contains information about student assessment, accountability, and teacher quality. If you have any questions about the AER, please contact Amy E. Rogers, Principal, for assistance.

The AER is available for you to review electronically by visiting the following web site www.jcisd.org. Click on the Torrant/Kit Young Centers Tab, then the AER tab. You may also review a copy of the AER in the main office at your child’s school.

During the 2014-2015 school year, the Torrant Center began transitioning from teaching and learning based on the adapted Michigan State Standards for students with Severe Disabilities (Extended Grade Level Content Standards-EGLCS) to the Common Core Essential Elements (CCEEs) standards for teaching and learning. The adopted curriculum, Unique Learning Systems (ULS K-12), is aligned to the Common Core, which posed a period of transition between the EGLCS and CCEEs. The 2014-2015 MI-Access Assessment was based on the EGLCS. In addition to the transition period between the EGLCS and CCEEs, the assessment schedule for the State of Michigan was changed from the fall to the spring, and the grade-levels that are assessed in Science and Social Studies were adjusted. Multiple key initiatives are being undertaken to support achievement for students at the Torrant Center. One being the adoption and implementation of the Common Core Essential Elements, which includes utilizing ULS (K-12) and Mother Goose Curriculum (Pre-K) as the adopted curriculum. Another being the implementation of Professional Learning Communities in grade-specific groups, which permits teaching professionals to collaborate regarding implementation of impactful teaching and learning strategies.

State law requires that we also report additional information: 

1. PROCESS FOR ASSIGNING PUPILS TO THE SCHOOL

The Lyle A. Torrant Center collaborates with the Local Education Agencies of Jackson County to provide center-based programs and services to students with Moderate Cognitive Impairments, Severe Cognitive Impairments, Severe Multiple Impairments, and Autism. These programs and services are determined through the Individualized Education Planning Process.  

2. THE STATUS OF THE 3-5 YEAR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

The Torrant Center staff and stakeholders continue to work toward progress on the school improvement goals. During the 2013-2014 school year, formal Extended Grade Level Expectation-aligned curricula were adopted (Mother Goose time for Pre-K-1 students, Unique Learning Systems 2-12 students and for transition students). Positive Behavior Intervention Supports were also implemented, including an intervention team process and tier 1 level school-wide supports. During the 2014-2015 school year, the Torrant Center continued to implement PBIS, implementing the Intervention Team Process, providing two individuals (on a daily basis after school) to coordinate the PBIS team, coordinate and facilitate the PBIS intervention team meetings, and provide support to students who experience difficulty during dismissal time. The EGLCs continue to be implemented through the implementation of standards-based curricula (ULS and Mother Goose). In addition during the 2014-15 school year, extensive work on unpacking the Common Core Essential Elements has taken place, including creating a locally based grade-level assessment and creating monthly pacing guides. The common assessments and pacing guides will be implemented during the 2015-2016 school year.

3. DESCRIPTION OF EACH SPECIALIZED SCHOOL:

The Lyle A. Torrant Center provides specialized education/instruction to students with moderate to severe disabilities. All of our programs provide instruction in the following areas: personal care, leisure and recreation, travel/mobility, basic life skills, personal relationships, prevocational skills and communication skills.  Common Core Essential Elements guide instructional practices in the core content areas of English/Language Arts and Math.

Students are placed at the Lyle A. Torrant Center as a result of an Individualized Education Plan through the Individualized Education Planning (IEP) process. The IEP members include parents/guardians, ancillary service providers (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech, Visually Impaired TC, Mobility Specialist, nursing, etc.), students, and special education teachers. Through the IEP process, the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and IEP services are considered and determined. 

4. IDENTIFY HOW TO ACCESS A COPY OF THE CORE CURRICULUM, A DESCRIPTION OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE VARIANCES FROM THE STATE’S MODEL

To access a copy of the CORE Curriculum, please contact Amy Rogers, Principal of the Lyle A. Torrant Center. The Torrant Center and Kit Young Centers utilize state-aligned curriculum and assesses students through curriculum-based measures in the areas of personal care, leisure and recreation, travel/mobility, basic life skills, personal relationships, prevocational skills and communication skills. In addition, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are assessed through curriculum-based measures (utilizing Mother Goose Time Curriculum and Unique Learning Systems Curriculum Assessment Tools). The Mi-Access statewide assessment is administered, as required by the Michigan Department of Education.

5.    THE AGGREGATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT RESULTS FOR ANY LOCAL COMPETENCY TESTS OR NATIONALLY NORMED ACHIEVEMENT TESTS.

The students of the Lyle A. Torrant Center do not participate in Nationally- normed achievement assessments. Biannually, students participate in Torrant Common Assessment, a locally developed assessment that measures students’ current functioning level on grade-level specific standards. During grades 5, 8, and 11, students participate in a locally based social studies assessment as part of the state assessment requirement.  To date, aggregate data has not been kept on this assessment.  

6. IDENTIFY THE NUMBER AND PERCENT OF STUDENTS REPRESENTED BY PARENTS AT PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES:

During the 2014-2015 school year, 91% of parents/guardians attended/participated in parent-teacher conferences.

In closing, the 2014-2015 school year has been a year of transition from fall assessment to spring assessment. In addition, we have begun to transition from the EGLCS to the CCEEs. Through professional development and through collaborative work in Professional Learning Communities, the Torrant Center staff is prepared to utilize multiple modes of instructional strategies to individualize instruction and to meaningfully deliver instruction of the CCEE State Curriculum to the Torrant Center Students in the 2015-2016 school year. 

Sincerely, 

Amy E. Rogers

Principal

Lyle A. Torrant and Kit Young Center