In 2018, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools launched a multi-year initiative called “All Means All” to ensure that all scholars, especially our English Learners and scholars with disabilities, have equitable access to the rigorous grade-level materials, social-emotional support, and mental health resources they need to meet their full potential. View the video below for more information about this initiative.
After making “All Means All” a key focus, Alliance scholars with disabilities saw tremendous growth in state testing results:
Collaboration is Key
Given our commitment to “All Means All,” this week Alliance led a public webinar focused on how we provide our scholars with moderate-to-severe disabilities with high-quality instruction. The event was co-hosted by a number of California legislators. Among them were Assemblymembers Miguel Santiago, Luz Rivas, Autumn Burke, Mike Gipson, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Sydney Kamlanger, and Wendy Carillo, as well as Senators Lena Gonzalez and Steven Bradford.
According to Alliance’s Director of Special Education, Courtney Vickers, who participated in yesterday’s webinar, “collaboration will be key to ensuring that students across California––not just Alliance scholars––are able to succeed during this unprecedented period.” With more than 139 webinar participants, we are optimistic that our approach will expand across the state and that we have new partners in collaboration. Please click here to view a recording of the webinar.
Distance Learning Adaptation
We are proud to share that by April 13 –– less than two weeks after the launch of Distance Learning –– Alliance was able to offer 100% of related services including Occupational Therapy, Counseling Speech, and Vision, through virtual means. We are also continuing to offer our academic and instructional support through our Special Education Resource Specialists and Instructional Aides, utilizing such tools as online office hours, small group instruction, and one-on-one tutoring sessions.
“One of the things I really like about Alliance’s special education program is the ability to adapt to individual student needs at a moment’s notice,” shared Alliance Marine-Innovation and Technology 6-12 Complex Director of Special Education, Elizabeth Dean. Our ability to adapt is due in no small part to the flexibility afforded public charter schools to make timely decisions that best meet the needs of our scholars.
