Special Services

Elder is a comprehensive high school that has committed a great deal of resources to supporting students with disabilities. Over fifty students with handicaps are currently receiving services at Elder.  Despite this commitment the resources are limited and do not provide the full range of special services required at public schools.  The types of services offered at Elder are focused on helping students who are capable of being successful within the regular education setting with a limited amount of support.  Students with disabilities are provided with three primary types of support services depending on their needs: Small Group Interventions, Remedial Reading and Math Instruction, and Test Accommodations. 

Academic Programs
The first step in providing appropriate instruction for a student with a disability is assigning that student to classes that offer him a curriculum and pace of instruction that is appropriate for his skill and ability level.  Modifications to the curriculum are not made within a level but this service typically can be accomplished through placing the student in the correct level courses. 

Elder High School offers a wide range of academic programs.  A student could be placed in one of five academic programs depending upon his particular needs.  In some situations, a combination of programs may be recommended.  Elder offers the following programs:

Level 1 – Basic
Level 2 – General College Prep
Level 3 – Average College Prep
Level 4 – Upper College Prep
Level 5 – Advanced

A student can be placed in different levels for subjects, if it is in his best interest, as well as changing levels after a school year is complete.  Factors that Elder’s Guidance Department uses in making placement decisions include:

A.   Closed High school Placement Test (HSPT – taken at Elder in December)
B.   Terra Nova Test of Basic Skills – taken in October of 8th grade year
C.   Student’s grades from 6th, 7th and 8th grades
D.   Recommendations from grade school teachers
E.   Results of Multifactored Evaluations and information from Service Plans

Types of Services
The guidance and support staff at Elder work with the student and his parents to determine what services a student is eligible for and are needed for him to be successful.

1.  Intervention
The intervention specialist provides small group instruction for students who may need additional support within the regular education curriculum.  In order to receive intervention specialist services the student must have an Individualized Service Plan (ISP).  The amount of service and the goals the student will work on are determined by ISP team at Elder.  Decisions will be based on the student’s needs as well as the student’s and tutor’s schedule.

Interventions are also provided by the School Advisor.  She typically provides support for students coming from a non-Catholic School background.  She also serves students based on the recommendation of their guidance counselor because they are “at risk” for having difficulty succeeding at Elder.  The goal is to help the student with the initial adjustment to a Catholic school setting and provide support services such as homework help or tutoring as necessary. The program also tries to eliminate barriers to success by helping students connect with other school services, such as free lunch or free peer tutoring.  Students in the program receive homework help, tutoring and grade monitoring through out the year. Students meet on a weekly basis to
discuss issues they may face.

2.  Remedial Reading and Math Courses
Students whose reading and/or math skills are significantly below grade level will be assigned to the basic level reading and/or math classes.  These courses are taken for credit and are taught by the school’s reading or math specialist in a small group setting.  These classes are not limited to students with disabilities and can be taken for one to four years as needed.

3.  Testing Accommodations
Students who have a disability that make it necessary for accommodations to be made in the administration of classroom tests will be provided an Elder Accommodation Plan.  The plan will alert the student’s teachers to the fact that he is eligible for the testing accommodations.  It will be up to the individual teacher to determine if the accommodations are appropriate for their particular class.  Allowable test accommodations include extended time, having questions and directions read to the student, and having directions and questions clarified.  These accommodations may be provided in the classroom or with the intervention specialist at the discretion of the teacher and depending on the availability of the intervention specialist.

Support Staff
Elder has hired their own support staff as well as contracted staff through Cincinnati Public Schools to provide a number of services to our students to support them within the regular education setting.  This staff includes full time intervention, reading, and math specialists, a full time student advisor, a full time school nurse as well as a half time school psychologist.

Intervention Specialist – Mary Ann Schuerman is Elder’s full time intervention specialist.  She is a certified reading specialist and has a Masters in Special Education.  This is her second year at Elder but has worked as a special education teacher for seven years in public schools and was the Director of Student Support Services at Purcell Marian High School for three years before coming to Elder.  She provides small group instruction and assists with testing accommodations for students with disabilities who have an Individualized Service Plan.  The support is provided outside of the classroom during the student’s study hall when possible.  Mrs. Schuerman makes arrangements with the student and a teacher to excuse the student from a class that will be least problematic for him (generally physical education, choral music, or band) if a study hall is not available. 

Reading Specialist – Our full-time Reading Specialist teaches the basic level reading class in a small group setting utilizing a remedial reading curriculum.  The class contains students who are two or more years below grade level in reading skills and it is not limited to students with disabilities. 

Math Specialist – Elder's Math Specialist teaches the basic level math class in a small group setting utilizing an individualized curriculum.  The class contains students who are not yet prepared to begin the general level Algebra course and it is not limited to students with disabilities. 

Student Advisor - Sharon Montgomery is Elder’s full time Student Advisor.  She has been at Elder for five years and spent fifteen years before that working with "at-risk" students in Over-the-Rhine; coordinating the Team Excel Program which helped students in that neighborhood receive tutoring and homework help.  Mrs. Montgomery provides students in the program with homework support, tutoring and grade monitoring through out the year.  She also helps link them to other services at Elder such “free lunch” or peer tutoring services to help then adjust and be successful at Elder.  The program is available to “non-traditional” students or other students who “at risk” for school problems.

School Nurse – Linda M. Giessler R.N. is the full time school nurse at Elder High School. She has been a nurse for over thirty years. Her background includes medical surgical nursing as well as over sixteen years of working in the field of adolescent and adult chemical dependency as well as working with high risk youth. Mrs. Giessler has been the school nurse at Elder High School for over nineteen years. She is a member of the CARE Team; which is a team of professional at Elder that help students going through a physical or emotional crisis. Part of her role as school nurse is to help identify and implement accommodations for students with special needs that are due to a medical or emotional conditional.

School Psychologist – Scott Ridder is Elder’s School Psychologist.  He was been at Elder for eight years and has fourteen years experience as a School Psychologist overall.  Mr. Ridder provides case management for special education students, collaborates with public school districts and other outside agencies, consults with teachers, counselors, and parents, provides brief counseling services, and conducts assessments as part of multifactored evaluations and at other times as needed.