NSNO SPED Grant Summary  2014 - 2017  Our strategy is to create and expand specialty programs for the highest-need kids.    Recipient Organizations    Collegiate Academies - $1,051,003  Collegiate established two programs to support students with disabilities in post-high school transition:   ● the 18-21 program designed for non-college bound students to learn job and life skills and   ● an Opportunities Program for kids on a degree track needing more than four years to become academically and/or  socially prepared for post-secondary schooling.   They also created a network-wide, opt-in Professional Learning Community (PLC) through which interested staff members  met regularly to reflect on progress, learn together, and problem solve.    Crescent City Schools - $40,000  Crescent City Schools launched the Aurora Program, an off-site setting for students with intensive emotional/behavior  disorders. The program opened to students in the network’s three schools, with the long-term goal of opening to any  student in the city requiring the therapeutic offerings at the site.    Cypress Academy - $40,000  Cypress created a model self-contained classroom for students with autism and other moderate to intensive needs using a  variety of evidence-based practices to support student growth and employed the Model Classroom Program© to train  leaders, teachers, and paraprofessionals on key skills needed to meet the needs of all students. Cypress also expanded  the work of their Diagnostic Center to assist other schools in working with students with autism.    Firstline Schools - $908,208  FirstLine is the fiscal agent for the Special Education Leader Fellowship (SELF), a two-year “train the trainer” model to  develop special education coordinators in New Orleans charter schools. The program includes training in best practices  related to creating customized academic programs for students with specific disabilities, aligning IEP goals and  interventions for SWD to Common Core State Standards, and supporting and developing SPED teachers. In addition to  training on specific content, SELF allows fellows to share best practices across networks and to receive job-embedded  coaching on issues specific to serving SWD at their schools.    KIPP - $362,500  KIPP expanded its Discovery Program at KIPP McDonogh 15 Primary School for the Creative Arts to include KIPP Central  City Primary (KCCP) and KIPP New Orleans Leadership Primary (KNOLP). They began with a full enhancement of the  McDonogh 15 program, including the development of a handbook to guide implementation, additional classroom materials  and professional development.     Morris Jeff Community School - $168,000  Morris Jeff expanded its Inclusive Education program, which prepares students with exceptionalities (regardless of category  or severity) for high school and college in the heterogeneous settings they will encounter in the greater community.  Students with exceptionalities in the Inclusive Education program learn how to critically think in both academic and social  settings, general education teachers learn to differentiate instruction, and special education teachers learn to address the  support needs of all students through integrated application of their specialized knowledge.         New Orleans Charter Science & Math High School (“Sci High”) - $308, 803  Sci High strengthened their transition program both for students with special needs entering high school (transitioning from  8th to 9th grade) and out of high school (after 12th grade) by:  ● adding two staff members to their current Special Education team to support students during their time in general  education classrooms;   ● hiring a transition teacher to work specifically with students with disabilities as they plan for the future; and   ● establishing a portfolio process for students with IEPs that students can share with potential employers or  professors to share their strengths, needs, interests, and accomplishments.    New Orleans College Prep (NOCP) - $597,836  NOCP’s Crocker College Prep created a self-contained classroom environment for students with moderate to severe  disabilities. The classroom includes sensory-based learning, social skill development, communication skill development,  and literacy. The program aims to increase the amount of time students spend in the general education setting.  NOCP’s Cohen College Prep hired a Transition Coordinator who supported the transition out of high school for students with  special needs. She works with each student to understand their interests/strengths/needs and determine their personal  goals and create opportunities for job skills training, internships, job placement, etc. as appropriate    Relay - $505,455  Relay Graduate School of Education designed a high-impact curriculum for special education teacher preparation programs.  Relay offers rigorous, intensive graduate-level coursework (including a Master’s program and continuing education courses)  designed to prepare highly effective special educators. Features included the creation of library of videos of highly  effective, local special education teachers and courses taught by local professors who had a record of success teaching in  K-12 special education classrooms.    ReNEW - $225,000  ReNEW was expanded the ReNEW Therapeutic Program (RTP) to serve students in grades K – 8. RTP provides support to  students in need of medical intervention due to severe psychiatric, emotional, and/or behavioral disabilities and/or to  severe trauma, as well as academic support. The goal of RTP is to transition students to a less restrictive instructional  setting as their therapeutic needs are addressed.    Success Prep - $45,000  Success Prep created of an Exceptional Learning Center focused on providing social, emotional, and academic  programming for students with moderate to severe exceptionalities. It includes a venue for functional skill instruction,  sensory outlet and exploration, integrated speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and structured social skills  instruction. The program also supports behavioral regulation and management, utilizing Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)  techniques.     Teach for America (TFA) - $494,768  TFA used this investment to implement and annually adjust Cohort Professional Development Curriculum for first-year TFA  corps members through two-year learning cohorts involving monthly working group sessions, quarterly professional  development, values-based leadership development programming, enhanced access to special education resources, and a  peer support network. They formed a Special Education Regional Advisory Program to serve as a community of practice for  local special educators, national TFA staff, local TFA coaches, veteran teachers, and leading local and national special  education organizations.    The New Teacher Project (TNTP) - $669,716   TNTP facilitated enhanced Pre-Service training and coaching during teachNOLA Fellows’ first year of teaching to help  them develop skills that are critical for success in special education. They offered a flexible add-on certification in Special  Education to teachers already licensed in other subject areas.    Tulane Medical School - $550,000  Tulane Medical School continued their partnerships with the New Orleans Therapeutic Day Program (NOTDP) which  expanded their offerings on two different sites, including adding an additional clinical psychologist to the staff. NOTDP  serves RSD and OPSB students with the most severe diagnosed behavioral health disabilities in grades K-8 and provides a  caring, therapeutic environment with positive behavioral supports, trauma-informed approaches, evidence-based mental  health practices, small-group classroom instruction, and therapeutic recreation activities.